OUR MISSION
Restoration Theatre Co. aims to pave the way for new interpretations of classic works, challenging musical theatre’s past to reinvent its future. We strive to recontextualize golden age musical theatre and prioritize storytelling in a theatre space dominated by sky high belting and ornamentation. Our goal is to make theatre history and dramaturgy accessible and fun, creating an inclusive space for the most cerebral and nerdy theatre artists to create together. We are a women led theatre company passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion so that everything we produce reflects the vibrancy of our world today.
RESTORATIONTHEATRECO@GMAIL.COM
THE TEAM
LEILA BRUSKE
(She/Her) is a performer, producer, and self-proclaimed musical theatre historian based in NYC. Her earliest memories are centered around watching her VHS copy of The Sound of Music. Clearly, it has had a profound impact on the trajectory of her life. While she has great respect for all eras of musical theatre, she is particularly passionate about the golden age and it’s relevance to today- thus: Restoration Theatre Co. was born!
Leila holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emory & Henry College, where she spent her final year curating her senior thesis- Watch What Happens: A History of Musical Theatre Through Song, in which she took the audience through the history of musical theatre... through song. It’s pretty straightforward actually.
She has been lucky enough to perform regionally, on tour, and in NYC. Favorite credits include Ilse in Spring Awakening, Claire in Ordinary Days, and Ensemble/Female Swing in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair.
In her (very little) free time, you can find Leila romping around the city, upstate visiting her cat, or hunting for weekend happy hours on the Upper West Side!
OPERATIONS MANAGER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
HANNAH KULAWIAK
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER / EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
(She/Her) is a NYC based multi-hyphenate artist and proud nerd! She spent her high school study halls listening to every Sondheim musical in chronological order, so naturally here we are, (hehe Sondheim pun, couldn’t resist!) creating a musical theatre history centered theatre company!
Hannah has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Indiana University where she directed a production of Sweeney Todd with a cast of all female and nonbinary performers with the exception of Judge Turpin (read more about it on her website) and wrote a thesis on the myth of the ingenue trope in musical theatre.
She has performed in various cabaret venues throughout NYC including The Green Room 42, The Triad Theater, and The Cutting Room (“Duets with Natalie Weiss”). Her favorite roles inclue Clara in The Light in the Piazza, Helen Bechdel in Fun Home, Margaret White in Carrie, and Ensemble/Roving Violin in Natasha, Pierre….1812.
When she’s not working one of her many hustles, she’s probably at an AMC Theatre, a museum somewhere, in the cheapest seat she can find at a Broadway show, or complaining about how it always costs extra for gluten free bread (seriously, what is up with that!).
ETHAN COOPER
is an NYC-based instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer. With a particular passion for historical dramatic music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Ethan brings a fusion of romanticism and intellectualism to his music. From Richard Wagner to Hans Zimmer, Bill Evans to Oscar Peterson, or Kurt Weill to Adam Guettel, Ethan covers a wide range of influences and inspirations to the keyboard.
Ethan has spent the better part of two decades performing as a concert pianist and has done additional work traveling in concert choirs, jazz choirs, and jazz bands. He has had the fortune to perform a number of times both on the stage and behind it, including shows like Street Scene, Orpheus in the Underworld, and Newsies.
Hailing from the great state of Iowa, Ethan studied at Iowa State University collecting degrees in both engineering and music. Between his day job as an audio electronics engineer and his work in the theatre community, not much time is spent away from music. In what little time remains, Ethan is most likely to be found in front of a TV watching football, basketball, or Christopher Nolan movies.
MUSIC DIRECTOR / RESIDENT COMPOSER
PROJECTS
Long before the sexual revolution brought us Cabaret, Hair, and Chicago, Broadway mastered the subtle art of innuendo and double entendre. Join us for an evening celebrating the sexy side of Broadway’s Golden Age, with stories of composers who pushed boundaries, performers who broke taboos, and audiences who couldn’t look away.
Featuring passionate tunes like “Old Devil Moon” and “Let’s Do It” alongside liberating classics like “I Cain’t Say No” and “Whatever Lola Wants”, this cabaret promises to turn up the heat! Come rediscover the tease, the tension, and the unapologetic power of performers who didn’t just light up the stage — they ran it.
UPCOMING!
JUNE IS BUSTIN’ OUT ALL OVER
The Sexiest Songs of Broadway’s Golden Age
You've laughed at them, you've cried to them, but have you ever heard the stories behind them? Join us as we celebrate the golden age of Broadway's most beloved lyricists and hear the surprising inspirations and creative sparks that inspired them! With selections from the men who brought us such lyrics as "I'm freezing, that's because it's cold out", "If I stumbled and I busted my whatchamacallit, I could lie on your floor unnoticed, 'til my body had turned to carrion", "Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, yet you're my favorite work of art", and more!
Featuring songs with lyrics by Broadway giants Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Alan Jay Lerner, and many other favorites - this show is part cabaret, part history lesson, all heart. A night you won’t want to miss!
Americans have faced their fair share of wartime, depression, and disastrous presidencies. One thing has stayed constant through it all-
People sing about it.
Join us for an evening of laughter, catharsis, and perhaps a tear or two, as we explore how our musical theatre predecessors coped with the state of politics. Inspired by the American Musical’s history of incorporating political satire as a form of joyful protest, we have gathered pieces we hope will leave you feeling a little lighter and with the knowledge that we’ve been here before and we will get through it again - with a little love, unity, and of course, sticking it to the man.
Featuring music from new favorites such as Suffs and Hamilton, classics like Cabaret and 1776, and oft-forgotten gems The Cradle Will Rock and Strike Up The Band - this is a night you won’t want to miss!
