From his varied experiences as an actor, artist and conductor, Thomas Pedersen brings a unique perspective to the world of producing. He has been equally at home on the operatic stage producing the celebration of Franco Corelli's 30th year at the Metropolitan Opera as well as in the variety format of the Mel Tillis Theater in Branson, Missouri, where he served as co-producer and musical supervisor with business partner Eleanor Dicks for legendary country music star Mel Tillis and his daughter Pam Tillis. As Artistic Director of Theater Ten Ten on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York's oldest off-off-Broadway venue, to the Atlas District in Washington, D.C. as the Artistic Director of the Washington Savoyards, Mr. Pedersen has led vibrant and multicultural productions of Shakespeare, Gilbert & Sullivan, classic American musical theater and new works for the stage.
Christmas At The White House & Millenium Concerts
N. Thomas Pedersen conducts the childrens' choir at Christmas At The White House in December 1993.
Thomas Pedersen speaks to pianist Keith Thompson and First Lady Hillary Clinton at Christmas At The White House in December 1993.
Thomas Pedersen with First Lady Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton (December, 2000)
In 1993, Thomas Pedersen directed a choir of young singers from St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Kensington, Maryland and The Levine School of Music, who performed for First Lady Hillary Clinton's press conference as she introduced the official Christmas decorations at the White House.
As President Clinton ended his last term in office, Pedersen was asked to help produce the First Lady's Millenium concerts, coordinating choirs from different organizations for performances around the Washington, D.C. area at various events celebrating the transition to the new year.
Gala Celebrating Franco Corelli's 30th Anniversary at the Metropolitan Opera
On February 9, 1991 the Hudson Opera Theatre commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of Franco Corelli's Metropolitan Opera debut with a gala performance featuring many of his colleagues and hosted by Tony Randall.
Mel Tillis Theater in Branson, Missouri
Thomas Pedersen and Eleanor Dicks were privileged to work for the legendary Mel Tillis and his family as well as his Statesiders Band to expand Tillis's variety show for his marquee theater in Branson, Missouri.
Mel Tillis performing with his grandchildren.
Theater Ten Ten: The Beggar's Opera
Soprano Judith Jarosz and baritone David Fuller create the roles of Polly Peachum and Captain Macheath in Theatre Ten Ten's acclaimed 1990 production of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. Credit: Jonathan Dobin (YouTube)
At Theater Ten Ten, Thomas Pedersen served as Artistic Director with Resident Director David Dunn Bauer, with the mission of bringing a resident theater with a regional theater format to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Under his tenure Theater Ten Ten produced more than fifty productions ranging from Shakespeare to Gilbert & Sullivan and Congreave to Tom Stoppard.
The Washington Savoyards: The Pirates of Penzance
Credit: Double R Productions
"The pleasures of the production were many. The company rightly puts emphasis on its detailed ensemble work, and the sets and costumes were amusing and imaginative. Conductor N. Thomas Pedersen set nicely flowing tempos and maintained good balances, and added another layer of affectionate parody by using a harpsichord in the recitatives." - The Washington Post
As Artistic Director of the Washington Savoyards, Thomas Pedersen worked with Kathleen Mitchell to expand its repertoire to include opera (Scott Joplin's Treemonisha, Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow) and classic American musical theater (Kiss Me Kate, The Music Man, Rocky Horror Picture Show) as well as the company's longstanding tradition of Gilbert & Sullivan productions.