BRANDON WARDELL

B

randon Wardell was born in the Carolinas and grew up as his father’s “roadie,” helping set up hundreds of club shows before he was old enough to get into the venues as a customer.

It was an unusual childhood education, but an excellent one. Brandon learned early that a great show is built from equal parts talent, preparation, teamwork, instinct, and occasionally a heroic amount of gaffer tape.

That foundation led to a professional career spanning Broadway, film, television, concerts, immersive theater, live events, recording studios, and international touring.

Brandon is a performer, producer, director, writer, production manager, technician, engineer, musician, and music producer. He is equally comfortable in the spotlight or behind the scenes, and he has built his career by understanding how all the pieces of a production work together.

He specializes in creating shows specifically for each event, venue, and audience. Whether he is performing onstage, producing a Broadway musical, developing a live experience, arranging music, engineering a recording session, or solving a production problem five minutes before curtain, Brandon brings a combination of creativity, experience, and practical know-how to the job.

Broadway and Theatre

After attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and spending several months touring around the country, Brandon moved to New York City.

He began working with his mentor, six-time Tony Award-winning costume designer and former President of the American Theatre Wing William Ivey Long, as an assistant in Long’s studio. That experience introduced Brandon to nearly every aspect of the New York theater business and helped shape his understanding of how a production is built from the ground up.

Over the years, Brandon has worked on more than twenty Broadway productions with William Ivey Long and continues to help when called upon.

That early immersion in Broadway taught Brandon how to communicate across departments, understand the needs of artists and technicians, and remain calm when the production schedule has developed the personality of a cornered raccoon.

Brandon made his Broadway debut in James Joyce’s The Dead, appearing alongside Christopher Walken and Marni Nixon.

His Broadway performing credits include:

• James Joyce’s The Dead

• Thoroughly Modern Millie

• Assassins

• Good Vibrations

• Catch Me If You Can

He also appeared as Scott in the hit Off-Broadway production of Evil Dead the Musical, where he set a record for onstage deaths by a performer in a single week—with forty-eight deaths.

That is a sentence few people can put on a résumé with a straight face.

Brandon was also featured in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Wayne Brady, Nicole Scherzinger, Vanessa Hudgens, Aaron Tveit, and Rachel Harris.

Producer

As a theatrical producer, Brandon’s work has been recognized with five Tony Award nominations and one Tony Award win for Porgy and Bess, winner of the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

His Broadway producing credits include:

• Porgy and Bess

• Catch Me If You Can

• Evita, starring Ricky Martin

• The Best Man, starring James Earl Jones and Angela Lansbury

• On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, starring Harry Connick Jr.

• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, featuring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette

Brandon’s producing experience extends beyond Broadway. He was one of the producers behind Delusion, the acclaimed live interactive horror experience in Los Angeles, which was executive produced at the time by Neil Patrick Harris. The production later evolved into a virtual reality experience through Skybound Entertainment, known for The Walking Dead.

He also worked on the production staff and performed in Accomplice: New York and Accomplice: LA, immersive theater productions created by Tom Salamon.

Music Producer and Recording Artist

Brandon’s work in music production has earned four Grammy Award nominations.

His recording credits include:

• Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone

• Ain’t Misbehavin’, starring Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis

• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

• Fela!, featuring Antibalas

• Annie: 30th Anniversary Cast Recording

• Evil Dead the Musical

• Rooms: A Rock Romance

• Hip to the Holidays

• The Hits: Live!

Brandon’s musical compositions and voice can also be heard in films, commercials, and other recorded media.

As a musician, Brandon performs and produces music with the Chicago-based group Under the Streetlamp. The band has released four PBS specials that air nationally and tours internationally on a regular basis.

Live Events and Special Performances

Brandon has performed, produced, or recorded at venues and events around the world, including:

• The Hollywood Bowl

• The MerleFest stage

• Radio City Music Hall

• Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic

• The Kennedy Center

• The Beacon Theatre

• The Whiskey A Go Go

• The Bratislava Symphony Orchestra

• The Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration

• Hundreds of additional venues worldwide

He has performed for live audiences of more than one million people and for television audiences numbering in the millions.

Brandon’s work is rooted in creating the right experience for the room. A concert, theatrical production, corporate event, festival, television special, and intimate club performance all require different instincts—and Brandon understands how to shape the show accordingly.

A Creative Life in Motion

Brandon is a proud member of the Recording Academy and the Broadway Inspirational Voices Choir, which received a Special Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre.

Throughout his career, he has remained committed to the full creative process: developing ideas, assembling teams, supporting artists, solving logistical challenges, and making sure the final experience connects with the audience.

Some people choose one lane.

Brandon built a career out of knowing where all the lanes intersect.

Let’s Create Something Great

Brandon works with artists, producers, venues, companies, organizations, and event planners to create memorable live and recorded experiences.

From a Broadway production to a concert stage, from a recording studio to an immersive theatrical event, Brandon brings the creative vision and production experience to move a project from idea to applause.

Contact Brandon