HOLLY SHEPHERD URBANOWICZ
Holly “Sheppy” Urbanowicz is entering her 30th year at Brentwood Academy. She has directed, produced, and choreographed more than 50 theater productions at BA.
She currently teaches Theatre Arts and Appreciation, Intro to Art, and directs the fall play, the middle school musical, and the spring musical. Locally, she has worked as an actor/singer/dancer/director/choreographer/prop master and more at Tennessee Repertory Theatre, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, Star Bright Players, The Theater Bug, and more.
As a musical theatre performer, Holly has performed in such shows as Hello, Dolly - Dolly Levi, Chicago - Velma Kelly, Cabaret - Sally Bowles, A Chorus Line – Sheila, Tommy - Mrs. Walker, Annie - Miss Hannigan, Blithe Spirit - Elvira, Steel Magnolias - Claire, Run For Your Wife - Barbara and many, many more. She worked as a singer/dancer at Opryland USA, Kings Island, and Dollywood. She has worked with a variety of bands including The Kadillacs, The Sugar Daddies, Act IV, and The German Rockstars. In New York City, Holly performed with Playwrights Horizons Theater and was a singing waitress at the world famous “Don’t Tell Mama’s”.
For over 16 years, Holly was a performer, director, producer and choreographer for The American Musik Show in Elspe, Germany at the Elspe Music Festival, where she met her husband of 19 years, Jan Urbanowicz, also known as Mr. U. She performed with the famous Polish band, Czarno Czarni, with whom she recorded an album and toured Poland and parts of the US.
Holly’s best accomplishment yet is her incredibly talented, intelligent, beautiful daughter, Daisy, who is entering her senior year here at Brentwood Academy.
SHANE McCONNELL
Shane McConnell has been a Nashville studio singer for 20 plus years. He can be heard on recordings by Garth Brooks, Wynonna Judd, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, The Newsboys, Natalie Grant, Dolly Parton, Chris Isaak, Rob Mathes, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disney, Call of Duty, and The Sims video game. He has also been part of the Michael W Smith and Amy Grant Christmas Tour for nearly 10 years.
Since 2006 he has been a member of the Gaither Homecoming family, performing on Homecoming videos, studio projects, and at live events. He also owns his own studio where he enjoys producing and recording with some of the top artists in Gospel Music. Shane joined Brentwood Academy as Theatre Tech and Set Design Instructor in 2022.
CARI CHEETWOOD
Cari Cheetwood is originally a California native who moved to the Nashville area 6 years ago. She is absolutely thrilled to be part of the Brentwood Academy family.
Cari graduated with an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Theatre and Education from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She has been both a teacher and performer in the Theatre for more than 20 years. Cari has performed in hundreds of shows over her career and found her passion in creating choreography for musicals while working in Los Angeles.
Since 2002, Cari has been certified as a Dale Carnegie and Associates Trainer where she was recognized as one of the top trainers within her local California organization and was then heralded as #7 of the top 10 trainers worldwide for the Dale Carnegie International Corporation.
Cari is very proud of her family and believes they are her greatest gift and accomplishment. Derk is her husband of 17 years, and she has three beautiful children Kylie (15), Audrey (12), and Cody (8).
