JoAna Gray

Actor - Singer

Master Class: Art of Performance with Marilyn Maye and Billy Stritch (at piano). Photo: Brooke Michael Smith

JoAna's most recent cabaret credits include Defying Expectations, Defining Dreams, at The Duplex in NY and Martuni's in SF, directed by Tony Award winner, Faith Prince/Musical Director Christopher Denny; Tits, Sass and...Penis Envy?, a two woman show with Sara Ris Bronson at both Martuni's and Oasis in SF, David Aaron Brown, Musical Director; Shades of JoAna Gray at Society Cabaret with Barry Lloyd, Musical Director; Cabaret and Comedy with Aidan Park at the Phoenix Theatre, Steve Sanders, Musical Director.  At Society Cabaret, she has participated in several shows, including the Gershwin Tribute, Music Director G. Scott Lacy, Broadway Showcase, Music Director, Barry Lloyd, as well as a Singer Showcase, all 5 Anniversary Celebrations and Cabanoir at the Hotel Rex, G. Scott Lacy, Music Director, all in San Francisco. 

She performed her first solo cabaret show, Shades of Gray, at the Larkspur Cafe and Theatre.  She created a two-woman show with Deborah Lynne Lombardo, aptly titled Broadway Babes, which they performed at The Marsh in San Francisco.  She was the opening act for The Asian American Actors Ensemble's Broadway of the Pacific Rim Redux.

For three years, JoAna has been honored to be accepted and attend the St. Louis Cabaret Conference where she was able to work with Tony Award winners Faith Prince, Jason Robert Brown, and Christine Ebersole and cabaret stars Marilyn Maye, Billy Stritch, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jason Graae, Alex Rybeck, Tedd Firth, Karen Mason, Christopher Denny, Peisha McPhee and Michael Orland. 

JoAna played Marge in Turning the Tables and Betty in Betty Bleeker's Divorce in Ross Valley Player's RAW Festival.  She has appeared in productions of Anything Goes, The Pied Piper of Hamelin Town and at the Fringe of Marin One Act Festival (Jane in Park Play and Mrs. Lillienstrall in Does it Really Matter). In Moonlight Through Ivy, she enjoyed filming at UC Berkeley and playing a college professor.

JoAna currently studies with Bobby Weinapple of Seydways Studios and Mindy Lym of Mindy Lym Studios.  She has studied solo performance with Ann Randolph and Charlie Varon at The Marsh.  She also studied at the SF Academy for the Performing Arts with Richard Nickol, the SF Acting Academy and the Marin Theatre Conservatory. She is a member of Theatre Bay Area and the Manhattan Association for Cabarets. In July 2020, she joined 42nd Street Moon as their Cabaret Coordinator.

For additional information on her experience and training, click on the links below.

To view and/or download her acting headshot and resume, please click here.
To view and/or download her cabaret headshot and resume, please click here.
To view and/or download her combined acting and cabaret resume, which contains a more complete listing of all her shows and training than the one pagers above, please click here.

With Billy Stritch after his show at Feinstein's.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Town, a children's musical written and directed by Billie Cox, Big Deal Theater.  Deborah Russo (third from left) as the Mayor and her three “Wise Guys,” Tina Cheplik, Kele Gasparini and JoAna Gray.

With Alex Rybeck, Peisha McPhee and Faith Prince at the St Louis Cabaret Conference 2015.

JoAna with Musical Director extraordinaire, Michael Hatfield, at The Marsh, San Francisco.