Curtain Up! Founder and Artistic Director
Patricia B. Groisser, BFA, MS, CPNP
A native New Yorker, born and raised in Manhattan, New York. Patricia has been dazzling audiences for almost three decades both on the stage and behind the scenes. Patricia began her training at Stagedoor Manor in Loch Sheldrake NY, performing leading and supportive roles in numerous musicals, plays and the well known Our Time Cabaret touring the “Borscht Belt” in the 1980’s. In New York City she continued her acting and directing training under her mentor, Jack Romano; dance training with Gregory Hines and vocal training with Richard Hughes, John Balme, Glenn Morton and Michael Larsen. Patricia earned a B.F.A in Musical Theatre and Vocal Performance with honors from Ithaca College – recently listed in Backstage as one of the Top 10 Musical Theatre programs in the country. At Ithaca she performed roles such as: Queen of the Night, The Magic Flute; Polly Browne, The Boy Friend, Ursula Merkle, Bye Bye Birdie, Susanna, The Marriage of Figaro and many others. Post-College, professional credits include: The Hampton Playhouse: Oliver, Oliver; Soloist, Evita; Music Theatre North: Lieutenant Marshall, South Pacific; Off Broadway she performed in Rabboni, and with The Brandenburg Opera: Queen of the Night, Die Zauberflote; Nanetta, Falsaff and Olympia, Les Contes d’Hoffmann; The Liederkranz Club: Najade, Ariadne auf Naxos; Annchen, Der Freischutz.
Patricia left “the business” to pursue one of her favorite roles: wife and mother to three daughters while concurrently obtaining a Masters in Science from Columbia University earning her the national title: Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner.
Patricia moved to Maryland with her family in 2003 where she has helped grow her husband’s Orthodontic Practice throughout Montgomery County. Since moving to Maryland, locals may have seen Patricia perform such roles as: Lady Larken, Once Upon a Mattress at both The Potomac Theatre Company and then again with the Har Shalom Players; Rockville Musical Theatre: Mother Abbess, The Sound of Music and one of her favorites: Sister Robert Anne, Nunsense where Potomac Theatre Company won the Ruby Griffith Award for Best Musical.
Patricia has been working in Montgomery County Public Schools as an independent contractor directing Musical Theatre and teaching performance workshops for almost a decade. Recent performances she has directed include: Alice in Wonderland Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., The Little Mermaid Jr. and Into the Woods Jr., Herbert Hoover Middle School; Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Jr., Westland Middle School; The 100 Year Snooze, Wayside Elementary School and an original musical she wrote and directed: The Noise in the Attic, Wayside Elementary School. As a parent volunteer she has also directed and written script for several Student Talent Shows, each having more than 100 participants!
Patricia most recently performed the role of Martha in The Secret Garden with the Har Shalom Players. In the Spring 2019, Patricia completed her fourth show: Alice in Wonderland Jr. at Herbert Hoover Middle School with a cast of over 100 students, a sold-out run (with additional performances) and requests for a continued on-going program!
Patricia continues her own professional voice training with the nationally and internationally accomplished soprano Jennifer Casey Cabot and is thrilled to be pursuing her dream - to start her own business sharing her passion for the Performing Arts!
When not directing in schools, Patricia enjoys coaching voice and acting in her private studio both for long-term development and short-term audition prep.
Other areas of interest: computer graphic design, video editing and most importantly spending time with her family!