San Diego
Gilbert and Sullivan Workshop
About Us
Meet the Faculty of the San Diego Gilbert and Sullivan Workshop!
Michael Sokol, Director
Baritone Michael Sokol has had great success in opera and music theatre here in the United States and in Europe, in venues from the Metropolitan Opera, to the Philadelphia Orchestra, to Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.
Mr. Sokol grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where as a child he was a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir for many years. He received his university degrees from Arizona State University, the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and Northwestern University.
As a performer in theatre and opera, he has performed roles from Mozart's Count in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Puccini's Marcello in LA BOHEME and Shaw's Henry Higgins in Lerner and Loewe's MY FAIR LADY. Very active in the creation of new music theatre, he created the role of Frank Lloyd Wright in the world premiere of Darren Hagen and Paul Muldoon's opera SHINING BROW and the role of the Magician in the American premiere of Stephen Oliver's MARIO AND THE MAGICIAN. A company member of San Diego Opera for eleven seasons, Mr. Sokol was Spineloccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI, the Sacrestan in TOSCA, Mr. Costello in Nic Reveles' GHOSTS, Alcindoro in LA BOHEME, Fuenfter Jude in SALOME and Dr.Grenville in LA TRAVIATA.
An expert in the comic masterpieces of Gilbert and Sullivan and Offenbach, he has appeared in and directed over 20 of their respective works, spanning the complete canon of Messrs Gilbert and Sullivan. He is a protégé of D'Oyly Carte principal comedian John Reed, OBE.
Angelina Réaux
Soprano Angelina Réaux, who was born in Houston, Texas, trained as an actress and a classical singer. A noted interpreter of the music of Kurt Weill, she made her New York Philharmonic debut singing THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. Her one-woman Kurt Weill show, STRANGER HERE MYSELF, was first produced at the New York Shakespeare Festival. A protégée of Leonard Bernstein, she sang his JEREMIAH SYMPHONY at the Vienna Konzerthaus; and for the Chicago Opera Theater’s twenty-fifth season she conceived, directed, and participated in the premiere of a new theatrical piece, THERE IS A GARDEN: A BERNSTEIN CELEBRATION.
Réaux has collaborated with and premiered works by composers including Ned Rorem, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Roberto Sierra, Stuart Wallace, and Ricky Ian Gordon. Her discography includes Weill’s opera STREET SCENE, Marc Blitzstein’s REGINA, and LA BOHEME and WEST SIDE STORY conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
Susie Shick
Suzanne Shick has a passion and expertise in Opera and Musical Theatre that have made her a highly sought-after accompanist and vocal coach by both professional and student singers. At SDSU, she accompanies numerous voice majors and is Music Director for SDSU’s Opera Theatre. Ms. Shick received her BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance from the University of Redlands with further studies at Mannes College of Music in New York City. She studied the art of accompanying with legendary coaches Ilana Mysior, John Dare and George Trovillo. The winner of numerous competitions, Suzanne has been a featured piano soloist with the La Jolla and SDSU Symphonies, among others. After serving as Organist for nearly 20 years at Solana Beach Presbyterian Church and touring Europe twice with their choir, Susie was appointed Organist at the Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe in 2017. She has toured Scotland and France with their choir. Ms. Shick has been the MONC San Diego District Official Accompanist since 2010.