Kikau Alvaro

Biography

Prior to joining UArts, Kikau Alvaro served as associate artistic director of the Virginia Repertory Theatre and a member of the Richmond Triangle Players’ Artistic Committee and led the Musical Theatre department at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. His vast experiences as a director, a choreographer and a performer are included in the Experience section below. 

Alvaro earned his MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University, his BA in Theatre with an emphasis in Directing from San Jose State University, California, and a conservatory certificate in Musical Theatre Performance from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and serves as the VP of Conferences for the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance.

Further, he is the co-host of a new podcast called Carefully Taught: Teaching Musical Theatre with Kikau and Matty with a fellow professor from California State University, Chico, Matthew Teague Miller. He now lives in Philadelphia with his husband, Derrick, and their puppy, Boggnes.

Experience

• Alvaro was associate artistic director of the Virginia Repertory Theatre. 

• He also served as a member of the Richmond Triangle Players’ Artistic Committee and was the head of Musical Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he directed and choreographed Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, Monty Python’s Spamalot and Spring Awakening, as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Something Wonderful.

• At Virginia Repertory Theatre, Alvaro directed and choreographed A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and The Wiz. 

• He also choreographed Atlantis: a New Musical, was associate director of In the Heights and associate director and choreographer of Fun Home, a co-production with Virginia Rep and Cadence Theatre Company. 

• With Richmond Triangle Players, Alvaro provided choreography for It Shoulda Been You and the regional premiere of The View Upstairs. 

• He also provided direction or choreography for Theatreworks Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, California, for Big River, [title of show] and The Trouble With Doug. 

• Alvaro helmed critically celebrated productions of Fiddler on the Roof, Anything Goes and Oklahoma! at Cabrillo Stage in Aptos, California. 

• As a performer, Alvaro is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association. He originated the role of Captain of the Guard in Up Here at La Jolla Playhouse, California.  

• He has also performed at the Old Globe Theatre in a concert series called Pushing the Envelope, which made connections between Michael John LaChiusa and other visionary composers like Maury Yeston, Jeanine Tesori and Adam Guettel. 

• Additionally,  Alvaro has been a part of a New Works collaboration between San Diego State University and La Jolla Playhouse, portraying the role of Albert in Tony Award–winner BD Wong’s new musical, Mister Doctor; and Chase Spacegrove in the new musical On the Eve, by indie band Home By Hovercraft.

Work

Follow Kikau Alvaro on Instagram: @kikautown

Follow Carefully Taught: Teaching Musical Theatre with Kikau and Matty on Instagram: @carefullytaughtpodcast

Awards & Accolades

Alavro’s work has been recognized with numerous nominations and awards. 

• His direction and choreography of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder was a Richmond Theatre Critics Circle (RTCC) nominee for Best Direction: Musical.

• The Wiz was an RTCC award winner for Best Choreography, 2019. 

• The world premiere of Atlantis: a New Musical was nominated for an RTCC award for Best Choreography).

• Guys and Dolls, staged at Diablo Theatre Center in Walnut Creek, California, was nominated for Shellie Awards for Direction and Choreography.