Nathan

My grandmother (Nonna as we all called her) taught me how to play the piano as a child. She had an upright piano where she labelled all the keys with stickers so I could learn the letters. She played guitar for our Church and led the Children’s Choir for Mass so naturally I grew up singing and surrounded by music. Singing with my Nonna blossomed into Chorus and Show Choir in middle school. It was there where I learned how difficult it is to sing and dance at the same time!

As a tween, I grew to enjoy math, science, and engineering. My love for engineering and creating things with my own hands led me to volunteer to build sets for our middle school theater department in the 6th Grade. The first show I was a part of: The Wizard of Oz. I worked behind the scenes, creating theater magic: making the house spin in the tornado and handling the fog machine for the Wicked Witch herself.

Then, my mother and I travelled to NYC to see my first ever Broadway musical: Wicked. I feel in love with the music, the artistry, the feel of a real life theater, and I was hooked. I performed in 4 shows a year in both middle school and high school, graduated into Community Theater and the rest is history!

I have worked with Theater Companies all over Southeastern New England as a Director, Music Director, and Actor. I always had a plan to start my own company one day but never took that next step. Tiffany and I have talked about it for a decade but the moment never seemed quite right.

Then an unfortunate experience led me to understand life is too short. Our days on this earth are numbered, we could spend them wishing for a better tomorrow or we could act on our deepest desires and make tomorrow’s dream a reality. My favorite part of the theater is being transported to another world! Stepping away from life’s complex momentum, slowing down, and being a participant in live art.

The Baker played by Nathaniel Tarantino

Stellar Studios Theater is founded on the belief that life is for living. We aim to provide an experience that brings joy to your life. An experience with your friends, family, and fellow strangers to engage with live art. To take you away from your day to day lives and enter the world that is presented on the stage.

Tiffany

I was lucky enough to grow up immersed within the arts world. My mom decided to enroll me in dance at the young age of 3, she saw it as a fun way to stay active and spend time with my family. This helped open me up to the world of theatre, always hearing theatre tunes performed at dance competitions, and I knew from there I wanted to try auditioning! I continued dancing up until High School and that's where I finally auditioned for my very first show and the rest is history! 

Meeting Nathan my sophomore year is what helped start my spark and dream for owning my own company one day. Throughout the decade we have known each other it was always a conversation we went back to, hoping one day we could make that dream a reality, but life always seemed to take us in different paths. When he approached me last summer with this amazing idea for Stellar Studios, I knew this was the moment and we had to take that leap, and I couldn't be happier!  

I'm hoping to bring the same educational approach I've been lucky enough to learn from to our own community, not only having the sense of finding a place where you can grow your craft with a friendly and welcoming community, but a way for everyone to come and learn the depths of theatre, on and off the stage! 

I was able to learn so much from each community theatre I joined, high school show I performed in, and dance classes I took. I knew this was the path my life was supposed to go on! I ended up at UMass Dartmouth, where thanks to their theatre company I have met some of my best friends and learned a lot of what it's like behind the scenes of a theatre production. After some trial and error with my college majors I ultimately ended up gaining my associates in theatre which opened up so many paths for me. 

I started working with regional Theatre Companies such as New Bedford Festival Theatre, Massasoit Community Theatre, and more which all emphasized the need to make every production not only magical but educational. 

Professional Experience

Nathan Tarantino

  • Stellar Studios (New Bedford, MA)
    Seussical — Producer/Musical Director

    Stellar Studios (New Bedford, MA)
    Next to Normal — Producer/Musical Director

    Footlights Repertory Theater (Swansea, MA)
    Rock of Ages — Musical Director

    Footlights Repertory Theater (Swansea, MA)
    The Drowsy Chaperone — Musical Director

    H.O.P.E. Theater (Swansea, MA)
    Into the Woods — Set Design

    Little Theater of Fall River (Fall River, MA)
    The Last Five Years — Director & Music Director

    UMass Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA)
    American Idiot — Director & Music Director
    Heathers the Musical — Music Director
    Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens — Music Director
    Into the Woods — Director
    Polaroid Stories — Director
    Twelfth Night — Director

  • Footlights Repertory Theater (Swansea, MA)
    The Drowsy Chaperone — Robert

    H.O.P.E. Theater (Swansea, MA)
    Company — Bobby

    Little Theater of Fall River (Fall River, MA)
    Blood Brothers — Mr. Lyons
    Shrek the Musical — Donkey
    Spring Awakening — Melchior
    Oliver — Mr. Sowerberry

    Studio Theater Company (Fall River, MA)
    Evita — Augustin Magaldi
    Heathers the Musical — Jason Dean

    ONE Theater Group (New Bedford, MA)
    Treasure Island — Captain Long John Silver
    A Christmas Carol — Scrooge
    James and the Giant Peach — Mr. Trotter

    Starplayers of Bristol County
    Chicago — Ensemble
    Hello Dolly — Ensemble

  • UMass Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA)
    Rock of Ages — Stacee Jaxx
    Young Frankenstein — Dr. Frankenstein
    Grease — Doody (Danny U/S)
    Bat Boy the Musical — Bat Boy
    Little Shop of Horrors — Orin Scrivello
    Spitfire Grill — Joe

    Taunton High School (Taunton, MA)
    Into the Woods — Baker
    The Crucible — Reverend Paris
    HONK! — Bullfrog
    A Midsummer Night’s Dream — Lysander
    Twelfth Night — Sir Andrew

Tiffany Pinaretta

  • *Current Performing Arts teacher at Stage Artistry Studios

    Stellar Studios (New Bedford, MA)
    Seussical - Producer/Choreographer

    Stellar Studios (New Bedford, MA)
    Next to Normal - Producer

    Footlights Repertory Theater (Swansea, MA)
    Rock of Ages - Choreographer

    Footlights Repertory Theater (Swansea, MA)
    The Drowsy Chaperone - Choreographer

    New Bedford High School (New Bedford, MA)
    Pure Energy Show Choir — Choreographer

    Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School (Bourne, MA)
    You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown - Choreographer
    Little Shop Of Horrors - Choreographer
    Bring it On - Choreographer
    Christmas Carol - Choreographer

    UMass Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA)
    Broadway Review - Choreographer
    Disney Under the Stars - Choreographer
    The Importance of Being Earnest - Assistant Director
    Heather the Musical - Choreographer
    American Idiot - Choreographer

    Youth Musical Theater Company (Fall River, MA)
    Newsies - Director / Choreographer

    New Bedford Festival Theater (New Bedford, MA)
    Beauty and the Beast - Intern Director / Tech Crew
    White Christmas - Company Manager / Tech Crew
    The Wiz - Technical Director
    Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Technical Director
    The Lottery - Director Administrative Assistant

  • Footlights Repertory Theater (Swansea, MA)
    Rock of Ages - Justice

    Studio Theater Company (Fall River, MA)
    Grease - Jan
    Heathers the Musical - Ensemble/Dance Captain
    Evita - Ensemble/Dance Captain

    Little Theater of Fall River (Fall River, MA)
    Shrek - Humpty Dumpty

    HOPE Community Theater (Swansea, MA)
    Company - Marta
    Kinky Boots - Pat
    Godspell - Turn Back, O Man

    Massasoit Community Theater (Brockton, MA)
    Legally Blonde - Store Manager/Judge

    Hingham Civic Music Theater (Hingham, MA)
    Footloose - Wendy Jo

  • UMass Dartmouth (North Dartmouth, MA)
    Grease - Rizzo
    Into the Woods - Witch
    Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens - Chesty Prospects
    And Then There Was One - Delores Biggs
    Carrie- Margaret White

    Bristol Community College (Fall River, MA)
    Pippin - Leading Player
    Urinetown - Officer Lockstock

    New Bedford High School (New Bedford, MA)
    Our Town - Mrs. Gibbs
    High School Musical - Martha Cox
    Tartuffe - Marianne