It’s time to say goodbye…

It is incredibly difficult to leave a part of my life that has been so incredibly meaningful. But it is time.

On August 1, 2022, FUSE will transfer to new owners: Leah Mueller and her husband, Jared Yarnell-Schane. They are also taking over Singing Onstage.

FUSE audiences will remember Leah as Miss Honey in Matilda, Beth in Merrily We Roll Along, and of course, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George. Leah grew up in State College and was a Singing Onstage student when she was in middle and high school. When Rich formed FUSE, Leah was frequently seen onstage in productions. She has ten years of teaching experience, from Pre-K through collegiate levels. Leah was the Performing Arts teacher at the Delta Middle School Program for six years where she directed, choreographed, and music directed their musicals and plays. She holds a BME in Music Education (Choral/Voice emphasis) from Penn State University, an MA in Theatre Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, and will graduate from Indiana University with her MFA in Acting in May 2023! You can see a snapshot of her work here – www.leahmueller.com

Leah’s husband Jared grew up at a summer camp in the Pocono Mountains. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University. Jared is an experienced entrepreneur and program director. He is currently the Director of Innovation at the Biomimicry Institute where he helps scientists and entrepreneurs tackle systemic sustainability challenges through nature-inspired design. You can learn more about his work here – www.jarnall.com

Jared and Leah both love traveling and the outdoors. Most weekends you can find them hiking or backpacking with their one-year-old Portuguese Water Dog, Rio. They are so honored and excited that Heidi and Rich have entrusted them with Singing Onstage.

FUSE will pick up again when Leah returns full time to State College in May of 2023.

FUSE became a meaningful part of the lives of all who helped create the varied shows we produced. Local theatre creators and those who came to State College to create memorable roles. All spoke of the joy they experienced creating such high quality and important theatre.

But it wasn’t just the creators. Audiences were incredibly supportive and generous with their praise, from Scrooge to Matilda and all the shows, cabarets, and play readings in between. It takes a village to make theatre happen, and it certainly cannot happen without the audience.

As my family moves to Wichita, Kansas, we take with us the incredible memories we created together. I will be an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Wichita State University, and Heidi will be developing a theatre education program for Music Theatre Wichita. Madeline will be working on a BA in Theatre at WSU and Olivia is taking a gap year with us while applying for musical theatre programs and will begin her studies in the fall of 2023. Marshall is moving to Nashville, Tennessee to continue a very full music career.

Our gratitude is boundless.

Sending much love and all best wishes to all!

Warmly,
Richard Biever
Producing Artistic Director, FUSE Productions