Paul Stancato

Paul Stancato possesses more than a decade of experience in the performing arts, including theatre, dance, and music. He played drums for the Chicago band, Voodoo Buss, before shifting his focus to theatre. In the late 1990s, Paul Stancato performed as part of Blue Man Group, which was a life-changing experience for him. He later noted that the opportunity evolved his perspective on the limitations of live dramatic performance. For seven years, Paul Stancato served as the Artistic Director for the Aporia Players, a group he helped to establish. Following that tenure, he earned directing credits for Guys and Dolls, Zombies from The Beyond, Godspell, Crazy for You, and Heart Rising, the world premiere of which he oversaw. Paul Stancato honed his craft by assisting renowned choreographer Rob Ashford with a Tony Award-nominated version of The Wedding Singer. Paul Stancato later led the first national tour of that musical, while preparing to participate in DanceBreak 2007, a competitive training program. Each year, the DanceBreak Foundation’s leaders select six promising Broadway choreographers who have just begun their careers. The organization assists choreographers such as Paul Stancato in further developing their skills in creating dance sequences for musicals. Paul Stancato followed this experience with a leadership role as Resident Director for the touring company of Disney’s The Lion King. For four years, Paul Stancato oversaw the cast and crew of this well-known musical show; his efforts led to a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Musical in 2008. In 2010, Paul Stancato directed Trav’lin at the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and The Sound of Music at a local theatre in Northport, New York. Paul Stancato currently focuses on a production based on the life of African-American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, a painter whose work demonstrates neo-expressionist influences. Paul Stancato earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance from Western Illinois University in Macomb, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville.