THE RAPPERS + IMPROVISERS
RJ Williams
RJ Williams is a performer, coach, and a cup of awesome from Dallas, TX. He performs with North Coast Hip Hop Improv, Baby Wants Candy and on a house team at The Peoples Improv Theater.
Additionally, RJ has has performed around the US and Europe. If smiles were currency, RJ would be rich.
Raquel Palmas
Raquel Palmas is an actress, comedian and improvisor. You can catch her performing musical improv at the UCB (BABY WANTS CANDY), PIT (Elevator Talk) and Caveat (various shows). She is proudly focusing her theatrical / comedic energies on f$&3ing up the status quo. She is a member of many indie improv teams such as off top, the all black King Zebra and even has the audacity to perform with her father on a two prov team called Daddies Issues. She is overjoyed to be able make theater that consists of two things that always make white men question their privilege: blackness and laughter. She currently performs every Wednesday night at the PIT on musical house team, Elevator Talk.
JD Ricafort
JD Ricafort is a rapper, actor, dancer, and nerd based in Queens. His music has been featured on Underground Hip-Hop Blog and Broadway World, and his solo hip-hop act SUPER SMACK will be in Austin next month rocking the glorious mania that is SXSW. He's performed in multiple productions of Lin Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS, most recently winning the Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical in 2018, and he’s an alum of The Public Theater’s #BARS Workshop with Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs. He loves Filipino food and Nintendo, and is releasing a mixtape this summer based on one or both of those things.
James Robilotta
James Robilotta is the founder of the freestyle-rapping, beatboxing, always fresh, long-form team “North Coast”. He started performing improv and stand-up comedy in 2004 and continued in graduate school with Clemson University’s troupe, “Mock Turtle Soup”. In 2007 he started studying at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and the Magnet Theater, in New York City. James now teaches hip hop improv at the Magnet theater and workshops at comedy festivals around the country.
Outside of improv James is a Professional Speaker who talks with corporate and college audiences around North America about Authentic Leadership and Networking. He is also a Personal Coach who hold people accountable to pursuing their goals and living more purposeful lives.
Beth Bowman
Beth Bowman is an improviser with over 10 years of experience performing around the United States. She was on the original Musical Megawatt cast of GEM at the Magnet Theater. In addition to performing with North Coast, she is a full time mechanical engineer/project manager, and proud dog owner. If she isn't at work or performing, she is at home with her best friend and loving pet, Toto.
Rachel Rosenthal
Rachel Rosenthal is comedian and improviser with 20 years of experience. She is also a free-style rapper. In addition to North Coast, she can be seen performing in Blank! The Musical, in her improv duo, RaeRoest, or with international touring company, Big Bang. Rachel is also an award-winning improv instructor who has worked with The People’s Improv Theater (2014 Teacher Of The Year), Miami Ad School, Reckless Theatre, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, and at various theaters around the world.
Rachel has been featured on several podcasts and radio shows including This American Life and Risk! Her first book “Identity Thief” is now available on Amazon. OMG and The Huffington Post once called her an “improv whirlwind.” Say what?
Douglas Widick
Douglas is a founding member of Hip-Hop Improv group, North Coast, which was named one of Timeout NY’s Top 10 Comedy Shows of 2014 and tours internationally. He just wrapped a tour of Sonja In Your City and a year-long run of Toxic Masculinity: The Musical at UCB Theatre. Follow his new Comedy Group Cum Laude on Instagram @cumlaudecomedy . Douglaswidick.com
Billy Soco
Billy Soco is a first generation, Latinx and AAPI actor and improviser and has been rapping on stages since 2005. He’s performed on house teams with UCB and Magnet theaters as well as Comedysportz NYC and the nationally renowned Story Pirates. Billy has performed in festivals throughout North America with all-Latinx improv ensemble CHUCHO and musical improv darlings Kittyhawk. You can also catch him performing at Magnet Theater in NYC with Big Whoop and monthly with The Little Big Show.
Billy is also an improv instructor and management professional delivering workshops focused on vulnerability and authenticity and has co-moderated conversations on topics like inclusion, diversity of thought and creativity in the workplace. Find him on IG @bsoco.
MEl Rubin
Melanie Rubin is an improviser, beatboxer and Philadelphia Eagles fan based out of New York City. Mel has been beatboxing since 2005, improvising since 2015, and dog-momming her pride and joy, Milo, since 2017. You can catch Mel performing Saturdays at the PIT with North Coast and Wednesdays at the Magnet Theater on Megawatt.
Milo’s Instagram is @milothemiki. This was always about him anyway.
Luke Miller
Luke is a improviser based in New York City who has been performing for over 10 years. Born in NY but raised in NC, he's been lucky enough to improvise and freestyle for audiences all across the United States, and even internationally. Luke has been a part of award-winning improv and sketch groups, has coached/directed/taught improv teams, and has even made some beer money leading professional workshops. By day, he works as a strategy manager in marketing and sales...but by night, you can find Luke rock climbing, tending to plants, cooking, or lighting the stage up with North Coast.
Ralf Jean-Pierre
Ralf Jean-Pierre aka Precious Gorgeous, is a first generation Haitian-American rapper-songwriter, actor, and comedian from Brooklyn, NY. Precious Gorgeous earned a BFA in Performing Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He has studied at the People’s Improv Theater, and has studied clown with Christopher Bayes and Virginia Scott, and with world-renowned clown performer and director, Eric Davis.
In 2012, Ralf and his collaborator Jolie Tong developed a one-man show chronicling the true account of how Ralf spent the year 2012 riding his bicycle around the United States, performing a one-man Shakespeare on the streets following the passing of a friend. The show was called WHAT SHOULD BE THE FEAR and debuted at Gamba Forest in 2017. In 2019 Precious Gorgeous released two self-produced records: Tryna Get My Live Together, which was recorded live with a live, and Everyone Dies From a Bullet vol 1, a covers record. Precious is part of a NY artists’ collective Black God Pantheon. He is also an ensemble member of FIZGIG Studio’s Commedia Company. Ralf is currently teaching as an adjunct professor of clown for the Brooklyn College BFA Theater program.
Stephanie rae
Stephanie Rae is a full-time applied improv practitioner who has been studying the form for twelve years. She’s directed a Boyz II Men themed show for UCB's Del Close Marathon, guest played with everyone from ComedySportz to the Groundlings, and taught classes and workshops for improvisers from Louisiana to Liverpool. As founder and president of the Black Improv Alliance, she’s created scholarships and free programming for hundreds of improvisers of color, and as a facilitator for FLS+, she’s taught the science of play alongside members of Broadway’s Freestyle Love Supreme. Stephanie is passionate about amplifying diverse voices and seeing more melanin onstage. She also has a law degree from Georgetown - but mostly uses it to win arguments online.
THE BEATBOXERS
Amir Shaaban
Amir Shaaban is a beatboxer/multi-instrumentalist originally from Long Island, NY and an NYU alumni with a BA in Music with Honors. Amir has worked with various projects ranging all musical genres and styles including classical, jazz, hip-hop, pop, musical theater, a capella, rock, ska, R&B, funk, and singer-song writer music. In 2016, Amir performed at Lincoln Center for the annual College Cabaret competition as one of the 5 finalists from all of NYC. In the past Amir has worked and toured with artists such as Melanie Martinez, as well as music and music video productions for HealthCorps, a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Oz. Amir has also guest lectured at NYU educating students about the art of beatboxing in regards to its history, culture, and mechanics. In addition, Amir is a BeatRocker for B.E.A.T. Global (Bridging Education and Art Together) educating children of all ages on how to beatbox and produce music.
Michael Crisol ”Dr. Brick”
Michael Crisol is a beatboxer, born and raised in the Bronx, NY. Starting his beatbox journey in 2016, Michael took on the stage name of Doctor Brick. He began competing in beatboxing competitions in cities all over North America, including Boston, Atlanta, New York, and Toronto. Some of these battles include East Coast Beatbox Battle, American Beatbox Championships, Beatbox Legends, and Great North. In a number of these competitions, he tackles the tag team division with his partner, Alex P, in their tag team, Snakes and Ladders. Doctor Brick performs alongside a couple of a cappella groups such as The City Rays and The Apex Project (NY). Currently, he performs with many hip hop improv groups with the most notable being North Coast.