Meet Our Staff
Michael Popovsky
Founder / Owner/Director
Voice Instructor
As a performer Michael, has had the honor of performing such theatres as Opera Naples (Fl), Opera Delaware, Fulton Theatre, Gretna Theatre, Opera Lancaster, Bootless Stageworks, and Opera Seabrook to name a few. Favorite roles on stage include Schaunard (La Boheme), Harold Hill (Music Man), Man #2 (My Way…Frank Sinatra), Satan (Jerry Springer the Opera), Silvio (Pagliacci), Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf (Into the Woods), Marullo (Rigoletto), Snoopy (You’re a Good Man…) and Lesgles (Les Miserables).
As a voice pedagogue and teacher, Michael is passionate about helping students unlock and demystify the power of their own voice through contemporary and anatomically correct voice training methods. Michael is a member of NATS, a winner of the Independent Teacher Fellowship Award and his students have attended such programs as Point Park University, NYU, AMDA, Temple and Penn State’s Summer Musical Theatre intensive. They’ve also been semifinalists and winners at NATS student auditions and have been cast in Broadway, professional, semi-professional, community and school productions.
An experienced Director and Music Director, a highlight of his directing resume was directing the area premier of School of Rock for PPAS. Michael’s previous voice teachers include Dr. Thomas Houser, John Darrenkamp, Gweynne Geyer and Master Teacher Robert Edwin.
Michael lives full time in NYC working as a real estate agent with Bohemia Realty and loves playing golf, the NY Giants, and a good Old Fashioned.
Christyn Rutter
Owner/Director
Music Together® and Rhythm Kids® Instructor
Christyn Rutter is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and teacher with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She has had the privilege of working as a music director, director, costumer, props master, pit musician, sound engineer, producer, and performer in productions that range from small cabarets to fully staged musical performances.
Her love for all things music started at a young age and led to a passion for sharing the wonderful gifts that musicianship gives to humans! After studying Music Education (French horn) at Eastern University and teaching in Wayne, PA, and a brief stint in Los Angeles, Christyn relocated to Lancaster with her husband in 2010 and joined the staff at PPAS in 2014 as a Music Together teacher. In 2016 she joined Michael as an owner and director of PPAS. In 2018, Christyn completed Music Together’s Certification 1.
Outside of the studio and music, Christyn loves to explore endless hobbies such as sewing, 3d printing, woodworking, hand-lettering, cooking, craft cocktails, coffee, gardening, and decorating. She also traveling and spending time outdoors wither hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, or just sitting around. Christyn loves to move and is a competitive powerlifter and strongman, teaches yoga, and is currently working on completing a personal training certification. Christyn is thankful for each and every student, parent, and community member we cross paths with at PPAS!
Megan Charlesworth
Studio Manager
Music Together® and Piano Instructor
Megan Charlesworth holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Slippery Rock University of PA, and a Master of Music in Music Ed from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she studied the impacts of integration of culturally diverse materials in the music classroom. Megan joined PPAS in 2019 as a Music Together teacher and has since taken on the additional roles of private piano instructor and arts administrator. Prior to her work at the studio, Megan taught in public and private schools as a classroom music teacher, working with children ages K-12.
Outside of the studio, Megan serves as the Director of Music at Calvary United Church of Christ in Reading. She lives in Reading with her husband Preston, daughter Imogen, and son Whitaker.
Debra Macut
Director of Acting
Acting Instructor
Debra Macut holds a BA in drama and psychology from Franklin and Marshall College and an MFA in Acting from Catholic University of America. Ms. Macut is also a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). Ms. Macut has enjoyed a successful career in professional theatre, having performed throughout the U.S. This includes a 10 year residency at Stage One in Louisville, Ky. and a world premiere production of “The Great Gilly Hopkins” at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway, in which she originated the role of Maime Trotter. Debra also has experience with industrial work including film, commercials, and voice-overs.
Ms. Macut’s teaching background is extensive, with over 20 years of experience including workshops on general acting, children’s theatre, and Shakespeare. Debra has taught college level courses at Indiana University Southeast and acting for young people at Harrisburg Area Community College and Penn State Harrisburg.
Juliana Alfano
Online Voice and Acting Instructor
Her training outside of Penn State has taken her around the world. She took part in a Baroque Opera Workshop at the Aaron Copeland School of Music, working with world renowned soprano, Julianne Baird and performing as Valletto in scenes from Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. Prior to that, in the summers of 2014/2015 she attended Classical Singing and New York in June, an intensive vocal study program with leading professionals from Juilliard, Mannes, and Manhattan School of Music. Her studies have also taken her abroad to Salzburg, Austria, where she spent a summer training and singing at the Patti and Allan Herbert Frost School of Music.
Juliana holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The Crane School of Music under the tutelage of Deborah Massell at SUNY Potsdam in Northern New York. Her favorite musical theatre roles from her undergraduate years include Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes and performing in the ensembles of A Chorus Line and Ragtime. In her spare time, she can be seen gushing over every cute puppy she encounters on the street and learning the ukulele.
Steffan Bomberger
Voice and Acting Instructor
Steffan is a multi-instrumentalist, conductor, director, coach, clinician and teacher who is in demand throughout the mid-state for his interdisciplinary expertise and holistic approach to teaching the performing arts. Steffan has toured as far north as Cape Cod and as far south as Miami (and everywhere else in between on the east coast) as a collaborative pianist.
Steffan is the Founding Artistic Director of Steitz City Players, a nonprofit, community-centered theatre arts company, that focuses on bringing excellent arts opportunities to under-served populations in the Lebanon Valley. Their 2019 summer production, Godspell, was met with widespread acclaim.
As a seasoned actor, tenor and conductor, Steffan has performed across the US. He is currently prepping for an interactive vocal recital series highlighting the work of the American Songbook, which will culminate with his European premiere in 2021. Steffan is a member of NATS, ACDA, and AACT.
Local musical theatre directing credit highlights include Capitol Opera, Steitz City Players, Hershey Trolley Works, and Gretna Theatre. Steffan maintains a private studio in his hometown of Lebanon, PA and has taught master classes on the campuses of Messiah and Lebanon Valley Colleges. A 2013 graduate of Lebanon Valley College, he dual-specialized his bachelor’s degree in Sacred Music and Vocal Arts. He also holds an Associate of Arts in Humanities from Harrisburg Area Community College.
Trinda Shaull
Music Together®, Piano, and Ukulele Instructor
Trinda Shaull is an experienced private music instructor and educator, having substantial experience in both the classroom and with private lessons. She is excited to join the PPAS teaching staff. Prior to joining PPAS, Trinda directed several ensembles including percussion, choral and symphony groups. She also had the pleasure of music directing Annie Jr and producing Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
She holds a B.S in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College. Outside of the studio, Trinda teaches private lessons out of her home in Reading. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and gardening. She lives with her husband, three cats, and her baby boy!
Kristin Chronister
Voice Instructor
A Lancaster transplant from Atlanta, GA, Kristin Vienneau Chronister is a seasoned singer, performer, and voice teacher with a tremendous desire to spread the joy of music and performing to her local community. Kristin made her living for 15 years as a classical singer and private voice/piano teacher. Often considered a “crossover singer”, she ultimately focused her studies in opera and oratorio work but her love for singing also led her to dabble in performing musical theater, jazz, and folk music! Armed with a B.M. in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory of Music, a M.M. in Vocal Performance from Georgia State University, and an A.D. in Opera Studies from University of Memphis, Kristin loves to explore vocal pedagogy, the voice/body connection, and how practicing singing can maximise the artistic expression of the human voice.
When she’s not teaching, you can find Kristin serving as an Executive Board member for the Longs Park Amphitheater Foundation, volunteering for Penn Square Music Festival, and catching as many shows around Lancaster as she can find! Kristin currently lives in Lancaster with her husband Brad, two small children Maddie and Evan, and her adorable black cat Esmerelda.
Meg Schmidt
Voice, Acting, and Musical Theatre Instructor
Megan is beyond excited to be part of the PPAS team. She is a 2020 graduate of Ithaca College where she earned her BFA in musical theatre. As a PA native, Megan was born and raised in Allentown and is eager to get back to her Pennsylvania roots. Graduating amidst a global pandemic, Megan quickly took on the challenge of teaching online private vocal lessons as well as acting coaching. This quickly sparked her joy in teaching within the performing arts. From 2021-2022 Megan worked as a Tour Actor/Director with the Missoula Children’s Theatre out of Missoula, Montana. During this time, she performed and directed Johnny Appleseed and Alice in Wonderland, traveling through 20 new states as well as overseas in Cuba, Japan, and South Korea.
Some of Megan’s most notable onstage credits include Featured Vocalist, Jingle Bell Jukebox (Servant Stage), Maria Rainer, The Sound of Music (Servant Stage), Sunny, Westerwynne (Silver Glass Theatre Productions) Evelyn Nesbit, Ragtime (NCC Summer Theatre), Sister Mary Patrick, Sister Act (Ithaca College), Olive Ostrovsky, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Ithaca College), Feste, Twelfth Night (Ithaca College). Megan has also performed in various NYC cabarets at 54 Below, 53 Above, and The Triad.
When not performing, Megan loves spending time with her family and friends and performing as much as possible within her local community. She is also an arts and crafts fiend!
Rebecca Lehman
Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, and Voice Instructor
Rebecca is a PA certified music educator, and has taught private lessons for 6 years. Her greatest joy has been forming connections with her students and celebrating improvements as they grow in their musical abilities. She wants her students to love what they do, and works to provide a balance of fun and discipline in her lessons. Not only does she help students improve the quality of individual song selections, but she also teaches listening strategies and interpretation skills for overall musical competency. She is people-centered and dedicated to preserving the tradition of creating music.
Rebecca Lehman is a graduate of Eastern University. She was part of the Eastern University Choir, Eastern University Wind Ensemble, as well as Turning Point, an audition-based touring choir, where she was featured as a soloist. She taught K-5 general music and directed Beaver Creek Elementary school’s chorus in 2017. She also led guitar and ukulele classes at St. Patrick’s School in Malvern, where she taught basic skills and prepared students for Holiday and Spring performances. She has provided congregational music for the First Baptist Church of Norristown and was a stand-in vocalist at Renaissance Church Ministries in New Jersey. She also enjoys performing at open mics and listening to live jazz ensembles in her spare time.
Becca Snyder
Dance, Musical Theatre, and Acting Instructor
Social Media and Marketing Manager
Becca Snyder is an actor, director, and teaching artist local to the Lancaster area. Becca has worked professionally in NYC, Boston, and Lancaster. In 2019, she graduated from The Boston Conservatory with a BFA in Musical Theatre and an emphasis in Directing. While in college, Becca developed a passion for education and helping to teach the next generation of theater artists. She is thrilled to join the Popovsky team and help cultivate and foster a healthy and supportive theatrical experience for her students!
