Lisa Asher
Director, Coach, Creative Consultant
Lisa Asher has been directing in New York for over 25 years. She's directed shows Off Broadway, in the NY Fringe Festival, in cabarets, in clubs, and even in her living room. She is a four time Nominee for a MAC Award as Outstanding Director. Lisa has worked creating shows with talent from all fields, including musicians, comics, actors and vocalists. If you have been wanting to create your own performance piece, or need a fresh eye for an existing one, Lisa can guide you. With her years of experience performing her own award winning shows, she can take you through the creative process, from concept to booking.
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Recomendations for Lisa
Over the past 50 years, I have had the great fortune as a performer and producer to have worked with some of the most creative and talented directors in the American Musical Theatre. These include Hal Prince, Michael Bennett, Burt Shevelove, Joe Layton, Rob Marshall, Larry Moss, and many others, so it is with much experience that I chose Lisa Asher to direct my memoir musical Proud Ladies. I intuited that she possessed the same knowledge, skill, devotion, and passion that I found in these fine directors. My faith and trust in Lisa were born out in our rehearsal process and our team is thrilled to be opening Off-Broadway soon with Lisa at the helm. I wholeheartedly recommend Lisa as a director for any project you hold dear.
KURT PETERSON
Legendary Performer, Producer,
& owner of New York's The Voice Studio
JamesWillamProductions.com
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The premiere of Proud Ladies at the Springer Opera House, Columbus, Georgia.
Paul Pierce, Producing Artistic Director of the Springer, Ian Herman (Musical Director), Stephanie Skyllas (Co-Producer), Kurt Peterson (Author and Star) Lisa Asher(Director).
Lisa Asher is at the top of her field in the world of cabaret. Her own shows are as beautifully conceived and performed as any you will see. As a director, coach and consultant she is the perfect guide. Anyone would be lucky to be in the room with Lisa Asher.
CRAIG CARNELIA
Award Winning Composer/Lyricist
Working, Is There Life After High School, Sweet Smell of Success
Lisa with Craig Carnelia, backstage at NJPAC before her guest appearance in his concert.
I have been following Lisa Asher's work as a director for over a decade, and I've never failed to be impressed. One thing that has always struck me about her approach is that it is free of gimmickry or trademark idiosyncrasies. (Alas, this is not always the case with some other directors). Rather, what guides her choices is what would serve the particular piece or performer best. With so many shows in New York to choose from, I'm not able to see everything I'd like to; however, I always make it a point of seeing anything directed by Lisa. I know the production will be intelligently conceived and expertly realized.
ROY SANDER
Critic & Columnist
You'll not find a more gentle, smart, insightful director than Lisa Asher. She brings her experience as an award-winning singer to the job. There is no ego, only the willingness to share her knowledge, to listen, and to collaborate, all with the goal of bringing out your very best. I highly recommend her. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.
FRANK DAIN
Vocalist, Editor in Chief Cabaret Scenes
As a director, Lisa Asher is a performer's strongest ally. She is honest, passionate, provocative, and one of the smartest people I know. She is efficient and respectful and one of the best secret weapons a performer could have! She demands that you work hard, but the final product is more than worth it.
BRANDON CUTRELL
Nightlife Award Winner Outstanding Male Vocalist
Multiple MAC Award Winner for Outstanding Male Vocalist
Lisa helped me visualize what I wanted to create with my show. She not only helped shape the piece, but had a lot of inventive ideas for how to bring my material to life on stage. She has a terrific, intuitive way of working and always pushed me to explore new possibilities.
BRYAN SCOTT JOHNSON
Back Stage Bistro Award Winner Outstanding Theme Show
Television, Film & Broadway Actor
Writer, Songwriter & Composer
Lisa Asher is one of the finest one-on-one directors I have ever worked with. Her talent is listening to what the performer has in mind and assuring that it is not only achieved, but colored, layered and taken to a higher level in a completely collaborative fashion. This process led to my nomination for a MAC award for musical comedy performance and twice being named as one of the top 25 Cabaret Performers in New York City. I look forward to the opportunity of working with her again.
MATT LEAHY
MAC Nominee for Musical Comedy Performance
Lisa brings a fantastic amount of creativity and professionalism to her work as a director. As a consummate performer herself, she has an innate sense of theater and musicality that she brings to each rehearsal. She is truly interested in creating an atmosphere that will allow a performer to be seen at his or her best, and devotes herself passionately to that task. Ultimately, it comes down to this – good directors are few and far between. The good ones are worth working with time and again not just because you trust them, but because they get the job done and they do it right. All of which begs the question: Would I want to work with Lisa again? I’m already planning on it.
BRYAN DOBSON
Actor/Singer
Reviews of Lisa's Direction
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JASPER KUMP
Two Time MAC Award Nominee for Outstanding Male Vocalist
Venue: The Laurie Beechman Theatre
CABARET SCENES - "Directed with simplicity, and keeping Kump’s patter to a minimum, the award-winning performer Lisa Asher knows how to showcase a singer to their best advantage and does so beautifully with Kump’s show The Kid. Backed by the terrific arrangements of musical director Jeff Waxman, Kump weaves his way through a series of story songs by composers like Buddy Mondlock, Jude Johnstone, David Wilcox, K.T. Oslin and himself that, while obviously not unknown to Kump, Asher and Waxman, were certainly unknown to me which turns out to be a very good thing, indeed. And a smart move by Kump."
BRYAN SCOTT JOHNSON
Back Stage Bistro Award Winner for Outstanding Theme Show
Venues: The Duplex, Don’t Tell Mama, The Mint Theater
BACK STAGE – “Everybody complains about the subway, but Bryan Johnson has done something about it. He has written some 90 poems, songs and character sketches based on the frustrations and indignities he has suffered on, or waiting for, the 'N' train. He and director Lisa Asher have packaged half of this material into an extraordinary hour-long entertainment called 'I Want My Token Back!' performed by Johnson, with Jeff Waxman on piano...Endlessly inventive...a dazzling roller coaster ride.”
THE VILLAGE VOICE – “Brightly sarcastic revue...A demonically funny hour...Nothing is predictable; every potshot is hilarious and gratifying.”
NEW YORK POST – “TOKEN' is much more than 'fare'...There are many laughs...It's amazing that no one has done it before.”
TIME OUT NEW YORK – “A truly amusing hour...No one escapes his wrath.”
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JUSTIN DANIEL
Back Stage Bistro Award Winner Outstanding Male Vocalist, Debut
MAC Nominee for Outstanding Male Vocalist, Debut
CABARET SCENES magazine Pick of The Month
Listed as one of the top shows of the year in BACK STAGE MAGAZINE
Venue: Don’t Tell Mama
BACK STAGE – “In his thoroughly engaging show, "Quarter Life Crisis," deftly directed by Lisa Asher, Daniel embraces a room and reveals himself with a sincerity beyond his years.“
CABARET SCENES – “Justin Daniel, and his show Quarterlife Crisis, was sheer joy from start to finish. If steering clear of the usual cabaret standards seems like a gamble for a debut performance, with the help of Lisa Asher's direction and Jeff Waxman's musical direction, it paid off like three bells on a one-armed bandit.“
THOMAS
MAC Award Winner Outstanding Male Vocalist
Venues: Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex
CABARET SCENES – “Dramatic and passionate. Thomas is refreshingly different. Lisa Asher’s dramatic and skillful direction kept the evening flowing without ever being contrived.”
NEW YORK NEWSDAY – “A male Bette Midler three decades after the original Divine Miss M. Thomas turns the room into an avant-garde 3 ring circus.”
BACKSTAGE – “Impressive, intelligent and very funny.”
THEATERMANIA – “The most ambitious and innovative show of the year. “