2026 Creative and Leadership Team...

Grace is excited to return as Director at Chandler for this year's Summer Youth Musical: 'Spamalot'. She has been acting at this camp since she was 12 and was invited back last year to direct 'Oliver!'. She is 21 years old and from South Royalton, VT but studying Music Education at Skidmore college. Some of her favorite shows she’s been in at Chandler include Grease (2023), Legally Blonde (2022), and A White Christmas (2018) which she later went on to direct at her High school in 2023. She plans on continuing to direct and act through college and hopefully do more in the future. She is incredibly thankful for being given this opportunity and looks forward to what this year will bring! “I'm so glad that I get to do what I love and encourage everyone I meet to join this crazy journey called theater!”

Susan Montgomery-Grout returns to Chandler's Summer Youth Musical for her 3rd year since moving back to Randolph in 2016 after a 35 year hiatus. Her musical connection to Randolph and Chandler goes way back to 1974 when she began participating as either a cast member or a member of the pit orchestra playing flute or piano at the age of 13 (remember Pajama Game, Finian's Rainbow, Carousel, The Gondoliers, etc). She founded the Chandler Childrens Chorale (CCC) in partnership with Jen Stickney (Director) for grades 2-6 which serves to nurture and develop young singers/musicians to learn and perform music in a variety of genres, classical and musical theatre and also serves as a feeder program for SYM. Susan began playing piano at the age of 6, learning from her mother Jean, an accompanist with the Randolph Singers from 1974-1988 (Susan is currently the accompanist for the Randolph Singers as well). She received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Boston University. Susan studied song literature and the art of collaborative piano playing with Allen Rogers, solo performance with Lenore Engdahl and baroque ensemble accompanying with Thomas Dunn. She has extensive choral accompanying experience and was the pianist for 3 choral groups at the Longy School of Music for over 10 years during her tenure in Boston as well as numerous pit orchestras and local performing groups. Her other musical interests include flute, organ, guitar, mandolin and accordion. When not practicing or accompanying, Susan enjoys skiing, yoga, traveling, cooking and time with her family. "I can't wait to work with this amazing group of kids and look forward to another successful production at our treasured Chandler!"

Kate Branstetter grew up in the halls and crannies of Chandler and was a part of the first years of the Summer Musical program back in the nineties! Kate is an artist, advocate and business owner in Randolph with a background in education and library programming. Kate brings her enthusiasm, kindness and lots of creativity for three weeks of skill building, friendship making and big happy dance numbers!!

Kyle Casazza is excited to be returning to Chandler’s Summer Youth Musical for the 2nd summer, this year as Music Director. A veteran performer, teacher, and conductor from Texas now residing in Vermont, Kyle Casazza is currently in his third year as the Director of Music at the Georgia School in Georgia, VT, directing all aspects of the Instrumental and Choral Music programs. Before coming to Vermont, Casazza was a music educator at both the collegiate and public school levels in Texas. Casazza holds the Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of North Texas where he studied trombone with Tony Baker and Vern Kagarcice, as well as conducting with Eugene Migliaro Corporon and Dennis Fisher. Critically acclaimed as a trombonist with “a robust tone, and singing vibrato”, Dr. Casazza has performed throughout the world. He is currently Assistant Conductor of the Vermont Philharmonic, second trombonist with the Vermont Jazz Ensemble, and a member of the Vermont All-Star Salsa Band, Alma Picante. In his spare time, Kyle enjoys spending time with his husband Matt and their pets Peach and Biscuit, hiking, playing board games with friends, and watching baseball.