Bio : The Doo Wop Project
The dynamic Broadway stars of The Doo Wop Project are on a mission to put Doo Wop on everyone’s playlist! With their smokin’ hot band, they capture and deliver the classic sounds of the guys who, back in the day, harmonized with each other on stoops, in the subway, and on street corners, and they have also created a unique, exciting, fun way to “Doowop-ify” today's biggest hits – reimagining them as though they had been written during the Doo Wop era! Once you experience The Doo Wop Project live on stage, you’ll see why everyone around the country calls them AMERICA’S PREMIERE DOO WOP GROUP. The group recently released their studio album, Echoes Of The Street.
RUSSELL FISCHER (VOCALISTS)
Russell Fischer spent six years in the Broadway company of Jersey Boys, marking his Broadway debut. He was an understudy and eventually a standby for the role of Frankie Valli as well. Fischer made his professional stage debut at eight years old in The Sound Of Music starring Debby Boone. He starred as Billy in the second national tour of Big: The Musical, and most recently in Baby Fat, Act 1: A Rock Opera at NYC’s LaMama E.T.C. Regional credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Music Man at Chautauqua Opera, the American premiere/recording of Children of Eden at Paper Mill Playhouse, the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival premiere of The Collins Boy starring opposite Lisa Howard, and Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys at Lakewood Center for the Arts. Fischer voiced a music video on an Emmy-winning episode Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and is featured in the HBO documentary, The Bronx, USA. He has appeared on the live broadcasts of the 2015 Belmont Stakes, the 2009 Tony Awards, several spots for TV Land’s 60 Second Sitcoms, and in The Doo Wop Project: Live In Concert on PBS.
Instagram: @russell.a.fischer
DWAYNE COOPER (VOCALIST)
Dwayne (The Bass) is from Florence, SC and currently lives in New York City. He first began singing with a Christian a capella group called, "The Cunningham Singers" where he learned how to sing in tight harmonies. Often referred to as a modern day Sammy Davis Jr. meets Barry White, he is what the industry calls a "triple threat" and has performed in the Broadway Casts of MOTOWN: The Musical, HAIRSPRAY, the 25 year NY Revival/Off- Broadway production of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE and most recently the TONY and Grammy-nominated Broadway Revival of SWEENEY TODD starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford. As a songwriter/arranger, his music has charted on Billboard’s Top Ten Dance Chart and as a sketch comedy writer, his Youtube/Tiktok videos have been seen by over 20 million people. Dwayne's tv/film credits include Law and Order, Difficult People, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and RuPaul's Drag Race. He dedicates his performances to his mother and family for supporting his career as an artist. You can find him @itsdwaynecooper on all his social media handles.
DOMINIC NOLFI (VOCALIST)
Original Broadway Credits: Jersey Boys (Tony award best musical), Motown; The Musical, A Bronx Tale. He can be heard on all three Cast Albums. Off Broadway: Piece of My Heart NYS&F. TV: Orange is the New Black (Final season) Film: Zombie Prom starring RuPaul. Dominic was one of the original members of The Doo Wop Project which can be seen on PBS and Live on tour across North America. Dominic is married to Sonia Nolfi who he met performing in the European tour of Grease! They have a daughter Vivienne who attends LaGuardia High School (The Fame School) in NYC as a dance major. Dom is a purple belt at Park Slope Academy of Brazilian Jiujitsu . Dom loves performing doo wop with his artistic brothers! OSU
CHARL BROWN (VOCALIST)
Charl was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as “Smokey Robinson” in Motown The Musical; he reprised this role opening London’s West End production in 2016. He is also featured on the Grammy Nominated Original Broadway Cast recording. Charl was most recently seen on Broadway as “Steve Pieters” in Elton John’s Olivier Award winning musical Tammy Faye. Charl was honored to work with Stephen Schwartz playing the role of Adam/Noah in Children of Eden in Concert at the Kennedy Center. And returned to Kennedy Center in 2018 as The The Specialist in The Who’s Tommy. Other Credits include; Jersey Boys on Broadway and Las Vegas (Hal Miller) Sister Act Broadway (Officer Eddie Souther, TJ, Pablo U/S, Ensemble) Hair (Hud) European Tour, Dreamgirls (Curtis) The Muny, Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr) Moonlight Stage, Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Adrian) The Muny, The Who’s Tommy (Captain Walker) Denver Center, Ever After (Captain Laurent) Papermill Playhouse, Johnny Baseball (Tim Wyatt) ART, Six Degrees of Separation (Paul) Long Beach Playhouse, JC Superstar (Judas) Music at Westwood Theater, A Chorus Line (Richie) Starlight Theater, Star Wars Trilogy in 30 Minutes (Lando Calrissian) Edinburgh Fringe Festival. TV: FBI, Evil; Madam Secretary; America's Got Talent (US & UK); Macy's 85th & 87th Thanksgiving Day Parade, The 63rd Annual Tony Awards, A Capitol 4th 2013. Charl is also a proud Graduate of the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts where he currently sits on the advisory board for the inaugural BFA in Musical Theater Class.
JOHN MICHAEL DIAS (VOCALIST)
John Michael Dias recently appeared on Broadway as Neil Sedaka in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning hit Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. He originated same the role for the Beautiful First National Tour. Dias gained a nationwide following starring as Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons in the smash hit Jersey Boys, playing the role on Broadway, as well as in the First National Tour, Vegas, and Chicago companies. Concerts: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Neil Sedaka's Greatest Hits!. He can also be seen singing special appearances with the vocal group The Doo-Wop Project. Dias’ solo album, Write This Way, which features intimate takes on Broadway and pop favorites like “Can’t Take My Eyes of of You” and “New York State of Mind” is available on iTunes. Dias earned a BFA in musical theatre from Boston Conservatory.
SONNY PALADINO (MUSIC DIRECTOR)
Sonny Paladino was the Music Supervisor, Arranger, Orchestrator and Conductor for the Broadway Musical A Beautiful Noise and is currently the Music Supervisor for the National Tour. Music Supervisor for the Broadway Musical, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Music Director, arranger and orchestrator for the Broadway musical Getting the Band Back Together, and the off-Broadway revival of Smokey Joe’s Café. Coming soon, The Wanderer. Arrangements and orchestrations for The Indianapolis, Baltimore, Vancouver, Detroit and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s and The Philly Pops. Associate Conductor for The Last Ship (written by 16 time Grammy Award winner, Sting), and the TONY winning best revival, Pippin. Other Broadway credits as a musician, Jesus Christ Superstar, Billy Elliot, Grease, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Guys and Dolls, Mama Mia, Promises, Promises, Addams Family, Women on the Verge. Music Supervisor for Disney’s High School Musical (Milan/Italy tour.) 1st National Tours: Disney’s High School Musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Grease. TV: Disney’s Encore!, The X-Factor (Australia), The Next Big Thing. Sonny is also a founding member and arranger of the hit group The Doo Wop Project, which tours the country performing classic Doo Wop music and contemporary songs in that style.