Linda Leonard
Meet the Musical Theatre Program Chair
Linda Leonard is a professional director and choreographer with over 500 credits, a stage and on camera actor (AEA,SAG/AFTRA), a voiceover actor, a singer and dancer, and a teacher and mentor for students ages 5-95. With a career spanning over 45 years, she has taught and performed in the DFW Metroplex, NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles and abroad. Her work has been seen locally at Stage West, Circle Theatre, Echo Theatre, CitiRep, Theatre Three, and she was the Education Director for Water Tower Theatre for 3 years. Her stage credits include award-winning roles such as Ann Richards (Critics Forum and Column Awards), and Aurora in The Kiss of The Spiderwoman (Leon Rabin, Column and Critics Forum Awards). Film, television and commercial credits include “American Crime,” “Salem,” “Dallas”, “Friday Night Lights,” “Cleaner” with Samuel L. Jackson, and “Wonderful World” with Matthew Broderick, among others. She currently voices numerous characters in anime for Crunchyroll, such as Joshu Kasei in “Psycho-Pass”, Sister Teresa in “Black Clover”, Liza Quillyn in “Ancient Magus Bride”, and over 200 other characters in the last 20 years. She is represented by The Horne Agency in Dallas/LA, and has directed an award-winning web series about Autism, “Saving Hope”, which premiered in March of 2019. Linda received her B.F.A. in Acting and Associate Degree in Psychology from Marian College and her Associate Degree in Dance from Butler University. Her teaching credits include adjunct positions at universities around the country, including Texas Women’s University, Texas Christian University, University of North Dakota, University of Illinois, Indiana University (IUPUI) and University of California, Santa Barbara as Head of Summer Opera and Musical Theatre Graduate Studies.
Nitzia Martinez
With a passion for movement and storytelling, Nitzia strives to inspire performers to express themselves fully through dance. She is dedicated to keeping the spirit of storytelling alive through the art of movement, ensuring that every performer connects deeply with their craft.
She has had the privilege of collaborating with the Dance Council of North Texas and Booker T. Washington for mock audition workshops, as well as with the Dallas Summer Musical Theatre for choreography. Additionally, she has worked with RBR Muzik, The Acting Studio, Dana’s Dance Academy, Danzarte, and Dallas Recreation Center, teaching technique classes and choreography. She has also performed with local theatres such as Prism Movement Theatre, Firehouse Theater, and Garland Summer Musical.
Nitzia is a faculty member at KD Conservatory, where she leads tap, jazz, and ballet classes for the Musical Theatre program, as well as the Musical Performance Dance class for the Acting program. Outside of KD Conservatory, she is currently choreographing Guys and Dolls Jr. for a children’s theatre program.
Larry Miller
Larry is a well-known Music Director/Pianist/Vocal Coach in the DFW area. He attained his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas. Most recently served as Music Director for Lyric Stage’s highly popular production of Jekyll and Hyde – The Musical!
Past credits include Casa Manana – Music Director/Assistant Music Director/Pianist for their 2012-2013 season. Popular productions such as Grease, Miss Saigon, Camelot, Parade, 42nd Street, 13 The Musical. He also served as a vocal instructor for their youth training program. Music Director for the TCC NE productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Young Frankenstein, Music Director for WOW Entertainment’s production of Dr. H. H. Holmes’ FREAKSHOW-Unleash the Demons, presented at The Southern Palace at Six Flags Over Texas last fall and is excited to be returning Music Director for Saginaw High School’s production of The Little Mermaid this fall, 2025, after a successful mounting of Sister Act this past fall.
Other credits: She Loves Me at Theatre Frisco, TCU’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Young Frankenstein at Theatre Coppell. Career highlights include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat presented at the Royal George Theater in Chicago, starring Bryan Lane Green, Broadway Dallas credits include White Christmas, Brigadoon, The Unsinkable Molly Brown starring Lawrence Guitard and Karen Morrow, The Anne-Margaret Show starring Anne Margaret, Hello Dolly! starring Carol Channing, Pal Joey starring Joel Grey, Assistant Music Director for High Button Shoes starring Gavin McLeod, Evita, Second National Touring Company in Dallas, Texas, Annie, Third National Tour, Dallas, Texas. He helped David Merrick audition little redheaded orphans in Dallas. He coached the children for The King and I starring Yul Bryner. He most recently was a musical theatre pianist and music director for Texas Christian University’s acclaimed musical theatre program since 2018.