Instructors
Brent Alan Goodrich
Executive and Artistic Director
Along with staging, choreographing, and music directing, Brent is a voice, piano, and acting teacher for the Foundation. He also serves as the Director for the Octavians’ musical theatre competition team.
Brent is an alumnus of Southeastern Louisiana University, where he earned the degrees of Bachelor and Master of Vocal Performance. During his graduate studies at Southeastern, Brent taught the class MUS101, was a featured soloist in Bach’s Aus der Tiefen rufe ich and Handel’s Messiah, and performed Olin Blitch’s solo from Floyd’s Susannah.
Brent has staged and music directed numerous musicals and operatic productions, including: Les Misérables, Little Shop of Horrors, Christoph Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice,
Singin’ in the Rain, Jekyll and Hyde, and Mozart’s The Impresario.
Brent’s notable stage performances include: The Mikado (Pooh-Bah), Gianni Schicchi, Sweeney Todd (Judge Turpin), Pirates of Penzance (Major General), Hänsel und Gretel (Father), The Rocky Horror Show (Frank-N-Furter), and the world premiere of Gwyneth Walker’s Evangeline (Father Felician).
Brent has worked and performed with McNeese State University’s Opera and Music Theatre Company, Opera in the Ozarks at Inspiration Point, The Lake Charles Civic Ballet, 30 by Ninety Regional Theatre, and Playmakers Regional Theatre
Brent’s students have won several singing and theatre competitions, including: National Association of Teachers in Singing (National Finalists), The Donald Wood New Orleans Opera Vocal Competition, and iTheatrics’ Junior Theatre Festival (All Festival Outstanding Production, All Festival Performance by and Individual, Best in Dance, and Most Outstanding Male Performer, and Most Outstanding Female Performer).
Brent looks forward to many more years of teaching music and theatre on the Northshore with the copious amount of talent on this side of the lake.
Laurie Bonura
Resident Acting Coach and Director
Laurie is a local actress who is passionate about bringing high quality and affordable theatre to all communities. She can be seen performing in community theaters across the Northshore. She graduated from NOCCA in theatre and has a BS in Education from Loyola University. In addition to portraying roles such as Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway in A Few Good Men and Columbia in The Rocky Horror Show, Laurie works behind the scenes regularly at 30 By Ninety Theatre in Mandeville as a director, stage manger, light and sound tech, and event coordinator. She currently serves as an acting coach for The New Octavians' Acting Upon Faith Team and is on the directing staff with The New Octavians' production season.
Alyssa Hernandez
Resident Vocal Coach and Stage Manager
Alyssa Hernandez, soprano, is a native of Metairie, Louisiana. Recently she preformed Mimi in RENT with The New Octavians. Alyssa has appeared with the New Orleans Opera chorus and New Orleans Opera’s “Opera on Tap”. Alyssa received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, where she studied under Dr. Alissa Rowe. At Southeastern, Alyssa portrayed Pericholé in La Pericholé. She has had the opportunity to portray the Fairy Godmother in Dr. Rachel Harris’ English translation of Cendrillion by Pauline Viardot at the National Opera Convention in 2013. Alyssa has received her Master of Music Therapy degree at Loyola University of New Orleans where she studied under Dr. Tyler Smith. Alyssa is a freelance vocalist across the Greater New Orleans Area. She currently is lead cantor at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ponchatoula, LA, lead vocalist at The Living Well Christian Church in Hammond, LA and is available for booking.
Olivia Lowentritt
Resident Dance Instructor
Olivia Lowentritt is entering her Junior year at Southeastern Louisiana University. She is studying Communication Sciences and Disorders with the hopes of pursuing a career in Speech Language Pathology. Olivia has been dancing for 17 years at Fellom Ballet in Hammond, Louisiana. She has studied Ballet, Contemporary, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pointe, Musical Theatre, Tap, and Modern. In addition to instruction at Fellom Ballet, Olivia was a member of Hawkettes Dance Team at Archbishop Hannan High School. After graduating high school Olivia returned to Fellom Ballet as a teacher for the creative class. Olivia has been a student choreographer for The New Octavians since 2017. Her work in The New Octavians production’s of Singin in the Rain and James and the Giant Peach has been accredited by the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, Georgia for dancing and choreography. She is passionate about dance and choreographing. She loves working with Brent Goodrich and The New Octavians and is excited to serve as the dance instructor.