Michael Stever
Michael Stever is an American film director, cinematographer, producer, writer, and actor.
Early life
Michael Lee Stever was born in Medford, Oregon, the son of Robert Roy Stever who was in retail management with JCPenney, and a decorated World War II veteran, and Elizabeth Anne Stever, a nursing assistant. Stever is of Irish, French and German ancestry and is the youngest of four siblings.Stever's early education includes Rancho Cordova High School and Sacramento High School's Regional Occupational Program, where he produced his first film at age seventeen. He also participated in competitive swimming. An influential teacher at that time was Dennis Yoder, who also had a career as a broadcast engineer for KXTV News10. Following his high school graduation, Stever attended Cosumnes River College studying filmmaking, media production and journalism with esteemed Sacramento instructor Doree Steinmann.
Career
Stever was drawn to the stage and successfully pursued a career as a working actor/singer/dancer. His theater credits during this time include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Juliet Prowse, the 30th anniversary tour of Mame with Morgan Brittany, the role of Joe Hardy in NETworks national tour of Damn Yankees, Diesel in a Berlin, Germany based production of West Side Story directed by longtime WSS vet Alan Johnson, Brisbane Australia's 1988 World Expo, and singing and dancing in Reno Nevada at the historic MGM Grand Hotel, in Donn Arden's Hello Hollywood, Hello. HHH boasted a cast of over 150 performers and production crew, and played for eleven years on what is still one of the world's largest indoor stages. Stever also appeared at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey in several productions, including Oliver! with George S. Irving and South Pacific with Ron Raines.He made his television debut in a 1991 episode of the science fiction series, Super Force, where he plays an alien abductee opposite the notorious Traci Lords as a shape-shifting, reptilian she-devil. In 1998 he garnered solid notices as Mortimer Brewster opposite Betty Garrett and Carole Cook in a University of Central Oklahoma production of Arsenic And Old Lace. He returned to UCO shortly thereafter performing with Shirley Jones. In 2000 he rounded out his nearly twenty year performing tenure singing in the historic Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
In 2001 Stever stepped away from performing, and devoted himself exclusively to writing and full-time filmmaking.
He also began what would be a three-year stint behind the camera as Unit Production Manager on the critically acclaimed documentary, . His first play Erzsebet, a historical account of sixteenth century Hungarian Countess, the infamous Erzsebet Bathory received a reading in New York City in 2004.
Screened his first independently produced documentary, Saturday Nightmares; The Ultimate Horror Expo! in New York City in October 2010. Saturday Nightmares: The Movie centers on the March 2010 George A. Romero family reunion at the historic Jersey City Loews movie palace.
His homage to Romero features a veritable "bloodbath" of genre luminaries who appeared in key Romero films, such as actress Adrienne Barbeau, actor John Amplas, and make up effects master Tom Savini, as well as filmmaker Roy Frumkus.
In 2011, filmed and co-produced his first indie comedy/drama Checking In, an independent feature based on the New York Fringe Festival play of the same name by Brian Hampton. He followed this with a 2012 music video Don't Come A Knockin for singer/songwriter Dwight Thomas Vaughn. Two following projects, the documentary short film Resurrecting Carrie, featuring Academy Award nominee Piper Laurie and Jan Broberg's Guide To Thespians, Sociopaths & Scream Queens, featuring Elijah Wood, were chosen as official selections at the third and fifth annual Macabre Faire Film Festivals, first and second annual Scares That Care film festivals, as well as the first annual ParaFest Festival in Bethlehem, PA. and the inaugural FEARnyc film festival, in New York, NY.
Stever reunited with Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels in 2011, in addition to Betsy Palmer and longtime theatrical compatriot J. Mark McVey for his self-produced documentary short, Jon Finch: The Ultimate Impresario, The film pays homage to the inimitable Bartlesville Oklahoma native who has worn countless hats in the theatre, and ultimately served as 'Presenter For The Arts' at both Talequah University, and The University Of Central Oklahoma.
In 2014 Stever met and collaborated with beloved A Nightmare on Elm Street star, Heather Langenkamp. Together they produced Heather's Freddy Cut Nightmare which chronicled her first-ever charity haircut auction on behalf of 'Scares That Care.' Later that year Stever worked with actor/playwright Stu Richelle, and director/dramaturge Linda S. Nelson filming and creating numerous multi-media installments for the Off-Off Broadway production of Vietnam…Through My Lens. VTML chronicles Richelle's reflective journey through the Vietnam War as a combat photographer, and debuted at The Dorothy Strelsin Theater in New York City during November, 2014.
Has produced numerous mini-documentaries, including a collaboration with Stephen Schwartz chronicling his first ever opera, Séance on a Wet Afternoon. He films and writes for Broadwayworld.com and TheaterPizzazz.com, and between 2011 and 2014 directed and filmed over 200 comedic and dramatic scenes for actor demo reels in New York and Los Angeles. Stever also served as the official camera man for The Drama Desk Awards in New York City where he had the honor of directing Vanessa Redgrave for a Driving Miss Daisy promo spot. He has also worked extensively as a filmmaker and videographer for the art gallery AFA NYC, The Laurie Beechman Theater, the historic New York City Players Club, Don't Tell Mama, National Arts Club, The Metropolitan Room, Feinstein's/54 Below, The Iridium, The Cutting Room, The New York Friars Club, the historic Birdland Jazz Club and for Able Rigging Contractors and Interstate Mechanical Services Inc.
In 2017, featured as co-cinematographer in director Jeff Kaufman and producer Marcia Ross's award-winning Terrence McNally documentary, Every Act Of Life. Also worked with Columbus State University Dance Department head Karyn Tomczak and Lester Schecter PR to produce a tribute/documentary honoring Duke Ellington's Grand Daughter, Mercedes Ellington. Stever's documentary screened at New York Friars Club on December 20, 2017. In late 2017 filmed and co-produced two TEDTalks episodes with actor/speaker & performance coach Kelsey Crouch. Episodes included 'How BS cured the blind girl' with Vicky DeRosa, and 'Design experiences, not things' with Abraham Burickson.
September 2017, the New York City Cabaret community mourned the loss of revered musical director, Maestro Barry Levitt when he suddenly passed from a heart attack at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Stever was on hand filming for longtime client, award winning singer/songwriter Dawn Derow and filmed Levitt's final moments on stage. Derow's collaboration with Levitt and director Jeff Harnar, 'My Ship: The Songs of 1941' was set to premiere on September 19th and had to be postponed. The show re-opened the following year with Ian Herman at the musical helm. The show and its creative team later received several 2018 Mac Awards.
May 2018, collaborates with Richard Hillman PR, executive producer Harvey Butler and director/playwright Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj to film the critically lauded play, Little Rock a historical drama about the Little Rock Nine. Little Rock was attended by a veritable who's who of industry notables, including a surprise visit from former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. October 12, 2018 Stever's DVD collaboration with beloved New York City Vaudevillian Sidney Myer is publicly unveiled at the 29th Annual Cabaret Convention, and on Amazon. Filmed and edited by Stever and co-produced in conjunction with The Mabel Mercer Foundation, KT Sullivan and Ken Bloom's Harbinger Records, Sidney Myer: Live At The Laurie Beechman Theatre DVD has been well received.
2019 found Stever filming with an eclectic array of Broadway and Cabaret Leading Ladies, including the propulsive Klea Blackhurst,
clarion voiced Lorna Dallas, Lynn Henderson whose Skitch Henderson homage, 'A Skitch In Time: My Tribute to Maestro Skitch Henderson' won raves, award winning singer/songwriter Dawn Derow, as well as several collaborations with beloved Broadway veteran, Karen Mason.
March 2020, The Broadway and Theatrical communities lost esteemed, Tony Award winning playwright Terrence McNally on March 24th. Shortly after Terrence's passing, Stever plus director Jeff Kaufman and producer Marcia Ross unveiled a never-before-seen Q&A panel discussion to the public, originally filmed in 2018. The Q&A, exclusively filmed & co-produced by Stever features candid recollections from McNally himself, director Kaufman, Nathan Lane, Tyne Daly, F Murray Abraham, Joe Mantello and was moderated by New York Times columnist Frank Rich. It serves as an effective follow-up to the critically lauded documentary, Every Act of Life which premiered in New York City and chronicles the unparalleled achievements, ups and downs of the legendary playwright. Shortly after McNally's passing, beloved former Drama Desk President William Wolf also passed. Stever's love and respect for Wolf, in addition to his long history as the official videographer for The Drama Desk was featured in a series of video montages celebrating Wolf, and The Drama Desk Awards.