Elgin Academy’s Summer Theater Program is excited to be hosting educators Rick Hilsabeck and Sarah Pfisterer, award winning Broadway Stars from The Phantom of the Opera, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Billy Elliot and Show Boat!
Rick Hilsabeck is a highly regarded actor, singer, dancer and teacher with over 35 years of experience starring on Broadway, national tours, the concert stage, as well as the dance world. He has enjoyed a successful and diverse international career. Rick learned the hallmarks of good teaching from his parents. His mom, an accomplished soprano in her own right, and his dad, a beloved high school history teacher, recognized his growing interests in art, music and dance. With a solid foundation early on in vocal technique and an interest in dance, he was pointed in the right direction.
Directly out of high school, Rick was chosen to be a member of the Academy Award winning singing group The Young Americans, based in Los Angeles. He was also accepted to the Acting program at California State University, Fullerton. There he studied all aspects of the theatre arts: acting technique, scene study, makeup design, set design, fencing, stage combat and mime. Rick returned to his native Chicago where he worked in the area theatres and studied dance with Lou Conte. The internationally acclaimed Hubbard Street Dance Company was in its infancy at the time and Rick became the first male principal dancer with the troupe where he appeared in two PBS TV specials. He had a long tenure with HSDC as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. His students have gone on to successful careers on Broadway, in film, television and stages around the world.
His performing career took a large step forward when he was cast by the famous stage director Harold Prince in the First National Company of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera. He starred as The Phantom (with Sarah Pfisterer) for over 1200 performances, receiving a nomination for the prestigious Joseph Jefferson Award. He would go on to work for Mr. Prince in Parade, and again for Mr. Prince and Stephen Sondheim in the original cast (and recording) of Bounce. Broadway credits include: Caractacus Potts in the high flying Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Big Davey in the multiple Tony Award winning, Billy Elliot: The Musical, directed by Stephen Daldry. Favorite roles include, Henry Ford in the original Chicago company of Ragtime; directed by Academy Award winner, Frank Galati; Herbie in Gypsy with Karen Mason; Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls; Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol; and Harold Hill in The Music Man. Most recently, his starred along side his wife, Sarah Pfisterer, as Henry Higgins to her Eliza Doolittle in a highly acclaimed production of My Fair Lady in Boston. His long time association with friend and highly esteemed teacher, Bruce Kolb continues to inform his career as both an instructor and performer.
Sarah Pfisterer holds a B.M. and M.M. from Northwestern University. Sarah is one of Broadway’s most esteemed leading ladies, having starred as Christine Daae in over 1000 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, as well as an acclaimed portrayal of Magnolia in Showboat! (Both for director Harold Prince). Her experience as a successful actor and her passion for teaching, have led Sarah to a busy private voice studio and acting teacher. She finds joy in communicating the knowledge of her craft and takes great pride in her students’ many accomplishments. Her students have appeared in film, television, and on professional stages as well as having gone on to some of the top programs in the country such as, The Stratford Festival, University of Michigan, Syracuse University, American University and Berklee School of Music.
Sarah had a solid foundation, graduating from Northwestern and discovered the professional experience in Phantom and Showboat to be an invaluable extension of that. Her teachers include many leading pedagogists in the industry: Bruce Kolb, William Riley, Edward Zambara, Lorna Haywood, Sunny Joy Langton, Elizabeth Fischer, and Sherrill Milnes.
After a highly successful run in the New York company of Showboat! with John Cullum and John McMartin, she toured the show with Tom Bosley. Also on Broadway she was seen in Children and Art directed by Richard Maltby, celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s 75th birthday. Off-Broadway she played Anna Smith in Meet Me in St. Louis at the Irish Repertory Theatre directed by Charlotte Moore. Regionally Sarah has appeared in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Maria in Sound of Music (IRNE award – Independent Reviewers of New England - for Best Actress) with John Davidson, Julie in Carousel (IRNE award for Best Actress) with Shirley Jones, Marian in The Music Man (IRNE award nomination), Anna in The King and I (IRNE nomination), Belle in Beauty and the Beast (IRNE nomination), and most recently as Eliza Doolittle in a highly acclaimed production of My Fair Lady along side her husband, Rick Hilsabeck as Henry Higgins. A Metropolitan Opera semi-finalist, Sarah has sung in concert with symphonies around the world with performers such as, Michael Feinstein, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Betty Buckley and Ruben Studdard and has worked with conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas and John McGlinn. She also made a recording of Jerome Kern’s “Oh Boy” in London under the direction of Mr. McGlinn. Sarah has a busy concert schedule, working with Broadway Pops International and internationally renowned Irish tenor, Ciaran Sheehan. She has appeared on The Today Show, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and on The Food Network.
In the Fall of 2011 Rick and Sarah opened Wiremill Academy, Theatre Arts for Young People in Georgetown, CT. It offers a wonderful opportunity to pass along some of their experience and passion to young people. Rick and Sarah live in Wilton, Connecticut with their two daughters, Hannah and Lily. http://wiremillacademy.com/