RUSSELL MILLER
Theater Operator and Producer, Russell Miller has over 25 years’ professional experience running large and prolific commercial theaters, sports and entertainment venues.
As a Senior Business Director, he has been responsible for 12 regional UK theatres and 10 West End Theaters in London – the largest group in London for the world’s largest theater owner/operator. Russell has overseen notable productions including the West End revival of ‘Guys & Dolls’ with Ewan McGregor and Patrick Swayze, which broke box office records, recouping in only 12 weeks. He also oversaw the opening of Cirque De Soleil’s Broadway debut hit musical, ‘Paramour’ and Molière’s ‘Misanthrope’ with Kiera Knightly in her West End debut with Damien Lewis, to name but a few.
Russell set up the business/commercial infrastructure to support the reopening after almost 50 years of the Hudson Theater on Broadway, with Academy Award nominee, Jake Gyllenhaal starring in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’. Russell also had responsibility for associated US theaters and concert venues in Brooklyn and four regional US venues in New Orleans and San Antonio. In 2012, Russell directly lead 90 departments and over 1,200 venue staff to oversee the planning and delivery of events for the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, viewed at peak by an audience of over 3 billion.
Russell is currently a Producer on the forthcoming documentary ‘Defying Gravity’ celebrating Stephen Schwartz, composer of hit Broadway shows ‘Wicked’, ‘Godspell’ and ‘Pippin’. Russell is a consulting producer on films with Don McLean and his classic song, ‘American Pie’, hit Motown producer/writer, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Kramer, engineer for Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and the Beatles. He is a published author and contributor to the ABTT Theaters, A Design Guide (published by Routledge) and is an entertainment consultant and external advisor to Bain & Co.
JUDITH A. PROFFER
Judith A. Proffer founded Southern California based and award-winning Huqua Press in 2010 as an independent publishing house to nurture talent and creativity. Previously, Judith spent 25 years in newspaper publishing, including nearly two decades with the alternative press (LA Weekly, OC WEEKLY, VILLAGE VOICE MEDIA) where she was Associate Publisher and Publisher, followed by co-ownership of the Sun Community Newspaper chain in the San Fernando Valley. Huqua Press publishes a diverse catalogue that includes culinary, juvenile, fiction and popular culture titles. Judith seeks authors and works that uplift, inspire, inform and engage.
Featured titles include Caroline by Brandi Carlie, Dog and Butterfly by Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart), The Wit and Wisdom of Gracie by Patti Davis, Our House by Graham Nash, The Lotus Kitchen by Gwen Kenneally and Places by Thaao Penghlis. She is the editor of I Hope You Dance, The Power of Spirit and Song (and co-produced the I Hope You Dance documentary), co-authored When We Stayed Home (a covid-19 survival book for children) and is also the Vice-Chair of Meteor 17, overseeing literary and charitable efforts for the media company.
Proffer was honored by the Los Angeles Business Journal and the San Fernando Valley Business Journal as one of the leading “Women Who Make A Difference” in the Southern California Community. Additionally, she was honored by Friends of the Family for her family centric charitable endeavors. Proffer has taught writing workshops to children, adults and incarcerated at-risk youths. She teamed with Hollywood Caterer, Gwen Kenneally, to establish Magpie Mini Pies, an artisanal petite pie company with proceeds benefiting local non-profits. She is launching The Word Garden in 2021, a non-profit writing resource for non-writers.