Garden Players & The Scooches: All Friends Concert Artists
The Scooches & GP Bios
Betina Hershey
director of Garden Players/voice/guitar/composer/co-band leader of The Scooches
Appears as principle dancer in featured films Disney's Enchanted and Mona Lisa Smile with Julia Roberts. Hershey performed on international and national tours of Broadway shows such as West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, The Fantasticks and Pump Boys & Dinettes.
As a songwriter, Hershey performed live on WFUV, played with Fast Folk at The Bottom Line, C-Note, workshopped songs at Jack Hardy’s Monday night gatherings and BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop.
Betina directs Garden Players, her own music theater program for children and young adults in Forest Hills, Queens. She writes an original musical every year, published by Beat By Beat Press and performed all over the world.
Nick Russo
guitar/banjo/resonator/composer/co-band leader of The Scooches
Nick Russo leads the charge as bandleader and composer. Russo plays guitar, banjo, and resonator and has appeared on ''Good Morning America'' as well as the Sam Mendes film, Away We Go, and was a sideman with the greats - Jimmy McGriff, Teddy Charles and Sonny Dallas. Russo had the honor to jam with Sir Paul McCartney while performing at Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s home, regularly accompanies Antonique Smith, Jon Batiste and recently performed for actor/comedian/composer Jim Dale in Jon Weber’s band.
Harvey Wirht
drums/percussion
Harvey has performed alongside Grammy Award artist Angelique Kidjo, appeared on the Jay Leno Show, the Late how with David Letterman, the NAACP awards, Good Morning America, and the Peace Ball for the Inauguration of President Obama. He has also performed at the Kora Awards with Best East African Artist Winner Eric Wainaina and Lionel Loueke. He tours internationally with renowned world music artists, and with his own musical projects.
Angie Workman
gospel vocals
Angela Workman is known as the Funk Balladtress. She has sung throughout the world with Ray Charles, Ben E. King, Patti La Belle, B.B. King, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. Gospel performances include singing with International Choir of Harlem, NYC Rescue Mission, Redeemer Baptist Church NYC, and at Rockefeller Center. You can hear her on TV, Film, albums such as Prince’s “Soul Psychedelic”, Eminem’s “Infinity” and many more. Her original global infused compositions and standard renditions are full of soul. Her goal is to change the world one note at a time.
Orlando Diaz
Garden Players pianist/musical director
Orlando saw the Mary Poppins movie when he was a kid and was inspired by the character Bert to be anything he ever wanted, so he studied classical piano at the Eastman School of Music and then worked as a sushi chef, US Army Bandperson, landscaper, real estate investor, musical theater director, financial advisor, piano bar entertainer, deli clerk, and other fun jams. In 2022 he released his first album, Grey Shirt, and in 2023 he released his first book: Rosario Davez. This year he premiered his first opera, Adventure Gospel.
Follow his projects at orlandodiazpiano.com.
Plus a huge thanks to all of our Alumni Assistants, Teachers, and Students performing in this concert, the local businesses who support our program, as well as our parent, alum and community volunteers! Thanks to Mockingbird Foundation for the Tour Grant which supported our Music Masterclasses and part of this concert.