Musical Theatre Faculty

Aaron currently serves as a Co-Head of Musical Theatre: Director of Student Relations, Production and New Work at Texas State University. He formerly, served as assistant professor and Co-Coordinator of Musical Theatre at Sam Houston State University from 2019-2023. Some of Aaron’s past directing credits include the world premiere of ShaWanna Rivon’s You’re Cordially Invited to Sit-In (Stages), Houston for the Holidays (Stages), Shakespeare in Love, Airness, Detroit ’67, Once on this Island, Violet, Godspell (WaterTower), Crazy for You, Hamoncé: A Devised Piece, Black Magic: A Shakespeare Adaption, The Pavilion, and Hairspray. His assistant director credits include the world premiere production of Regina Taylor’s Bread (WaterTower Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin (TUTS), and the regional premiere of Dear Jack, Dear Louise (A.D. Players). Aaron Brown holds an MFA in Directing from Baylor University and a BM in Music Theatre from Oklahoma City University. Aaron is a proud supporter and promoter of diversity in the arts. He is a firm believer that Representation Matters! Aaron is grateful for the love of his amazing wife Holly and their two kids, Eliza Grace and Isaiah Carter Brown.

Cassie Abate is a Co-Head of the Musical Theatre Program. Cassie originally hails from Sarasota, FL and has spent the last 15 years working as a performer, director and choreographer in New York and throughout the country. Cassie received a BFA in Musical Theatre from The University of Miami and an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University. Other training includes Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theatre Project and Gil Stroming’s Break the Floor in New York City. Cassie was an adjunct professor in the Musical Theatre Program at Montclair State University as well as a Graduate Student Instructor at San Diego State University where she taught dance at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Tom is a Co-head of Musical Theatre: Head of Production and New Works. They hold a Masters in Directing from Texas State University. At TXST, Tom has directed Spring Awakening, Guys & Dolls, Cabaret, Hair, Speech and Debate, the New Musical workshop of Dylan Spencer’s Cat Obedience School, and many other new works. In Texas he has worked as an associate director at regional theatres such as The Zach Theatre in Austin, and Theatre Under the Stars in Houston. Select acting credits include, the world premier and Toronto companies of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Boys in the Photograph and the North American tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat. He has performed at regional theatres across North America and cruised the high seas as a lead vocalist with both Disney Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises.

Julio is the Head of Musical Theatre Dance. Native Spanish and fluent English speaker. He recieved his BFA in dance from The Ailey School/Fordham University and MFA in musical theatre from San Diego State University. He has spent the past 20 years as a performer, producer, director, choreographer and educator in the United States and abroad. Julio previously served as an adjunct instructor at Syracuse University and student graduate instructor at San Diego State University. He is a member of Actors' Equity (AEA), American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Musical Theater Educators' Alliance (MTEA).

Julio is the founder and current president of Teatro San Diego, a nonprofit organization based in California. Teatro San Diego aims to curate professional productions that reflect the actual population of San Diego, CA. His passion is the continued effort in providing equal access to arts education in communities and neighborhoods that are under-represented and under-funded. Julio has a Professional Grant Writing Certificate from San Diego State University.

Torens L. Johnson is a native of Smithfield, VA.  He matriculated from Governor’s Magnet School of the Performing Arts (Norfolk, VA), and continued pursuing higher learning in dance with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center as a certificate student (New York, New York).  Mr. Johnson excelled at Alvin Ailey and after completing his certificate program, he was invited on to perform with the national and internationally known Ailey II, which is a part of the Ailey Organization. He is currently serving as the Deputy Director of Ailey Camp National.

Mr. Johnson has also performed with the Stephanie Powell DansEnsemble, ClancyWorks Dance Theater, Edgeworks Dance Theatre, Wylliams/Henry Dance Company and Tony Powell Music & Movement. 

Mr. Johnson completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Towson University while serving as Instructor of Dance with Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School (Baltimore, MD), where he worked with grades K through 12.  He then took his knowledge of dance and movement back to Missouri where he became Director of Dance at Paseo Academy of the Fine & Performing Arts, while also obtaining his certification in Dance at the University of Missouri (St. Louis, MO). 

Mr. Johnson then returned to Maryland and worked as a freelance educator, choreographer, and performer for Anne Arundel Community College, George Mason University, Morgan State University, and the Friends School of Baltimore. He earned his MFA in choreography through Wilson College (Chambersburg, PA) in May 2020. Mr. Johnson joins the Department of Theatre & Dance at Texas State University as an Assistant Professor of Dance.

Aimee Radics brings her passion for musical theatre, collegiate teaching, and advocacy for holistic wellness to the Texas State University faculty as Associate Music Director. She began her musical journey as a pianist and has since earned her bachelor’s degree in music and theatre and M.M. in Musical Theatre and Opera Conducting from Ithaca College. In addition, she has completed Rock the Audition Teacher Training with Sheri Sanders and expects to finish her One Voice Coach Certification in early 2022. Her professional career in music direction has taken Aimee to a host regional theatres, cruise ships and university settings, with some of her most meaningful experiences including Into the Woods, Next to Normal, [title of show], 9 to 5, and Sunday in the Park with George. Aimee teaches Singing for the Actor and works collaboratively as a vocal coach, accompanist and music director in the BFA Musical Theatre program at Texas State.

Austin Kimble is an award-winning music director, pianist, actor, and educator and has worked in regional theaters and with international and national tours in multiple disciplines. He accepted a full-time position as Lecturer and Associate Music Director with the BFA in Musical Theatre program at Texas State University in 2022, currently ranked in the top 10 programs in the nation.

Jackson is a performer, singer-songwriter, and vocal coach on faculty for Texas State University’s Musical Theater program. Since attending Texas State for Musical Theater Jackson received his certification and master certification in One Voice and has taught privately for eight years. He’s helped hundreds of singers from various training backgrounds and genres achieve their vocal goals while passionately focused on applying technical theories and craft into practical use on the field. Jackson has also co-founded The Recipe, a Brooklyn-based musician collective, they provide a weekly improvised live-music session for emerging artists throughout Brooklyn with a focus on inclusivity and intentional creativity.

Christopher Sanders (he/him/his) is a voice teacher and performer who has resided in NYC for the past 10 years. He received his BFA in Musical Theater from The University of West Florida and graduated from NYU Steinhardt where he received his masters degree in Vocal Performance for Musical Theater and his Advanced Certification in Vocal Pedagogy. International studies include the Performing Arts Institute in Munich, Germany and the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. During his time at NYU, Christopher was an Adjunct Voice Professor for the NYU Steinhardt vocal department, the President for the NYU SNATS chapter, a Vocal Coach for the NYU Steinhardt Pop/Rock Ensemble, and founded his private studio, Chris Sanders Studio. As a director, his work has been presented by various schools and theater companies both in New York and around the country. He also served as the Interim Artistic Director for Theatre Arts for Kids in Lincoln, NE. Performance credits include: HAIR, PJ Masks LIVE (international tour), Newsies, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Grease, West Side Story, Jekyll and Hyde, and more. He has been published twice by VOICEPrints Journal, and is a member of Actors Equity Association (AEA) as well as the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). www.christophermsanders.com, @ChrisSandersVoice

Kaitlin Hopkins is an award-winning actress, director, producer, and educator and has performed on and off Broadway, on national and international tours, and in film and television for more than 30 years.

In 2009, she created BFA musical theatre program at Texas State University ranked in the top 10 musical theatre programs in the country.

As an educator, she received the 2016 Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching from Texas State University and was recognized by Broadway Dreams Foundation as an innovative voice in education and one of the Top 6 women educators in the performing arts.

Hopkins works as an arts consultant worldwide, in 2011 she collaborated with the ProJazz Institute to create and launch the first musical theatre training program in Chile, and currently serves on the Artistic Advisory Board for North Texas Performing Arts, and as an External Examiner for The Sharjah Performing Arts Academy in Dubai; the first musical theatre training program of its kind in the Middle East.

As an entrepreneur, Hopkins is the proud creator and CEO of Fontus Dry Mouth Lozenges. In addition, Hopkins pioneered groundbreaking research on mental wellness for performing artists and athletes and co-founded Living Mental Wellness a holistic, evidence-based company that offers educational programs to enhance mental wellness through an integrated scientific life skills model. www.KaitlinHopkins.net