Mentors With a Unique Edge
Our team has been featured in and involved with numerous renowned institutions and productions
Julie Skaggs
Originally from Yorkshire, England, Julie Barnes received her training at the prestigious Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in London. Her Broadway credits include the original cast of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (as Truly Scrumptious), “The Little Mermaid” (as Carlotta), and “Mary Poppins”. On London’s West End, Julie has appeared in “Cats” (as Bombalurina), “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, and Trevor Nunn’s “Oklahoma!” with Hugh Jackman, which was later recorded in 1999 by Umbrella Entertainment.
She’s had the opportunity to tour both the U.K. and the U.S. with acclaimed shows such as “Spamalot”, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Evita”, and “Crazy For You”. Julie’s regional credits also include “9 to 5”, “Run For Your Wife”, “The Seagull”, “Seven Doors”, “The Gondoliers”, “Out of This World”, the original cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s “Beauty & The Beast”, and she was part of the original cast of “Tuck Everlasting”, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
Julie has taught globally, from London to Japan. Her teaching experiences include prestigious institutions such as CAP21, Arts Ed (London), AMDA, Joffrey Summer School, and LaGuardia High School. She has conducted numerous Broadway classrooms and was the Assistant Director of The Broadway Experience, an international triple-threat theater program. She served as the assistant choreographer for “42nd St” at LaGuardia High School, which won the Schubert Award for Best Choreography.
Corey Skaggs
Corey Skaggs has earned international recognition with feature roles on Broadway and London’s West End. His performances include Disney’s Mary Poppins, Love’s Labour’s Lost alongside Joseph Fiennes and Olivia Williams, Sunset Boulevard with Petula Clark, King Lear, The Buddy Holly Story, the West End premiere of My One and Only, Trevor Nunn’s Anything Goes, and Saturday Night Fever, among others. Corey has also graced the screen in Velvet Goldmine and the BBC’s recording of Welsh Millennium Center’s Gala “Concert for the Queen,” performing alongside Bryn Terfel and the Kirov Ballet. His vocal talents extend to commercial voiceovers.
As a writer, Corey has two projects in development: ‘We Three’ in association with LDR Creative, and a new musical ‘Mob Wife a Mafia Comedy’ collaborating with composer Michael Mott. He has been commissioned to write three movies, one musical, and two TV pilots, partnering with Top Rat Productions, Universal Studios, and CAA. He has developed and produced two successful web series and a short play Off-Broadway.
Corey is thrilled to be a part of Arts Edge alongside his wife, Julie.
John O’Neill
John is a musical director, arranger, and composer. Most recently, he served as the music director and arranger for Barry Manilow’s musical, Harmony, which is slated for Broadway in 2023. His other Broadway credits include The Music Man, Cabaret, A Chorus Line, Jesus Christ Superstar, Curtains, and Annie. John has toured the world as the music director for the national tours of West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Grease, and Cabaret. He has created dance arrangements for the Hugh Jackman World Tour, Radio City Music Hall, and Roundabout Theater, to name a few. His other credits include Paper Mill Playhouse, Two River Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Fulton Opera House, and the Ahmanson Theater in LA. John conducted the original cast recordings of Harmony and The Ballad Of Little Jo, and he can be heard as a pianist on the original recording of Children Of Eden.
John has served on the faculty of The Juilliard School Drama Division, Rutgers University, and CAP 21 at NYU.
As a composer, John has written for Radio City Music Hall. He was commissioned to write an original review, which was produced at the Fulton Opera House. He has also written numerous children’s theater musicals, including Mr. Sunshine by Ludwig Bemelmans, which is published by Dramatic Publishing.
Michael Mott
Michael Mott is an internationally critically acclaimed musical theatre composer/ lyricist, pop songwriter and voice teacher with over 14 million streams to his name. He has been heralded one of Playbill’s “contemporary composers you should know.” His original musicals include In The Light, A Faustian Tale (book by Nathan Wright and Justin Silvestri), The Fairy’s Tale (book by Gretchen Suárez-Peña), Mob Wife, A Mafia Comedy (book by Corey Skaggs) and the ten minute musical, Riding Out The Storm (book and lyrics by Christine Toy Johnson), which has been adapted into a short film and will be released fall of 2023.
As a voice teacher, his students have appeared in the Broadway & touring productions of A Chorus Line, Aladdin, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Newsies, Hamillton (Chicago company), Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Rock of Ages, Rocktopia, School of Rock, The Light In The Piazza (Encores), The Mystery of Edwin Drood and West Side Story (both the Broadway revival and 2021 films).
He has written, produced and recorded three full length studio albums of his original theatre, pop and jazz material sung by some of the best vocalists from Broadway, television and film. His discography includes Where The Sky Ends, The Only One, Abandoned Heart, In The Light (Highlights from the World Premiere Studio Cast Recording) [which debuted at #8 on the Billboard charts], plus various dance remix EPs and singles. His full discography is available everywhere music is sold. Sheet music is available at MichaelMott.net.
Who we are
Arts Edge is New Jersey’s premier performing arts school, dedicated to fostering creativity, building confidence, and inspiring a love for the arts. We specialize in dance, singing, and acting classes, providing a nurturing environment where students can discover their unique voice and unlock their artistic potential – finding their performing edge.
Our Story
Founded in 2022 by a team of passionate educators and artists, Arts Edge has grown from a small community into a respected institution, recognized for its commitment to artistic excellence and personal growth. Since opening our doors, we’ve nurtured talented performers of all ages, encouraging them to explore, express, and excel.
