MATT LANDERS
A native of Utica, New York, and graduate of Notre Dame High School, Matt was recruited and introduced to Theater by the late Joseph P. Hayes, owner and sole proprietor of the Surflight Summer Theater in Beach Haven, New Jersey. After two seasons of eight musicals in eight weeks at the Surflight, Matt trained at the Boston Conservatory of Music until he was hired as understudy to all five male roles in the Boston Company of GODSPELL at the Wilbur Theater. He went on to play Jesus in GODSPELL in the National Tour and eventually Off-Broadway at the Promenade Theater. He was cast as the first replacement in the role of Sonny and later as Kenickie in GREASE on Broadway at the Royale Theater. In 1977 Steven Schwartz enlisted Matt to create the roles of the Fireman and Gas Man in his musical adaptation of Studs Terkel's WORKING at the 46th Street Theater. Working was an early highlight in his Broadway experience. Mr. Landers was nominated for a New York Drama Desk Award for his performance and credited as a lyricist on one of James Taylor's songs written for the show.

In 1980 he left New York for California and Hollywood. As an LA actor Matt enjoyed a long and varied career in television: NYPD Blue, ER, Arliss, L.A. Law, Wiseguy, the Flash, Night Court, The George Carlin Show to name a few. He appeared in the major motion pictures 48HRS, Diehard, Commando, Ricochet, Down Periscope, the Academy Award winning Best Live Action Short, Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall and the low-budget Indie features Galaxies are Colliding, Nowhere Land, Reptilian and Jacks or Better.

Matt recently returned to live in New York City. He was St. Peter of the Chrysler Building in Tony-nominated British Director Deborah Warner's acclaimed performance piece, THE ANGEL PROJECT, appeared as Horn in the BATTLE OF BLACK AND DOGS in the Koltes festival at the Ohio Theater in SoHo, as Zeus in the new musical HERCULES IN HIGH SUBURBIA at LaMaMa and played a four-month engagement as Lionel in the long-running Off-Broadway hit PERFECT CRIME at the Duffy Theater in Times Square. More recent roles include Pablo Picasso in A Picasso at Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Oscar in The Odd Couple at New Harmony, Indiana, Lou in Breaking Legs at Vienna’s English Theatre, Vienna Austria plus guest appearances in all three versions of television’s Law & Order and the Independent feature, Edmond.

Mr. Landers began his producing career as a founding member and President of Immediate Theater, a non-profit, public benefit 501c3 Corporation in Los Angeles. He was Executive Producer of Immediate Theater's productions of David Mamet's EDMOND at The Powerhouse Theater in Santa Monica, THE GHOSTMAN (directed by Stuart Gordon) at The Harmon Avenue Theater in Hollywood, BEING OF SOUND MIND at the Whitefire in North Hollywood and the acclaimed family musical BIG TUSH, LITTLE TUSH which enjoyed a successful year-long run at the Groundlings Theater in Hollywood.

Of all his accomplishments he is proudest of being a loving Dad to daughters Lily Kivlen and Fiona Kathleen Landers.