About Us
Interview with CoryListen to Brian Nissen interview Cory, the creator of Crosses The Musical. This 13 minute interview gives great insight into how the musical came to be.
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Crosses HistoryListen to Brian Nissen interview Cory Ellsworth and Randy Kartchner about their collaboration on Crosses The Musical and other projects, including 1856 The Musical.
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Brief Bios:
Creators
Cory Ellsworth

Cory is a father and husband, experienced businessman, and playwright. He lives in Mesa, AZ with his wife, Amy, and their twin boys, Cade and Colby (b. 2000). Cory and Amy are also the parents of Ethan (deceased Jan. 2009), Ben (deceased Dec. 2005), and married daughters Atley Heath (Camden) and Emily Nicoll (Brigham). Cory and Amy are both natives of Mesa but have lived internationally in Toronto, Hong Kong, London, and Frankfurt as well as Utah, South Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia in the U.S. Cory served a mission for the LDS Church from 1979-1981 to the Germany Hamburg Mission and still speaks German fluently.
Cory has been employed in international business for the past 26 years with NCR, AT&T, and Cisco Systems. He is currently a Senior Director of Strategy and Operations at Cisco Systems and has worked in Finance, Business Development, Operations, and Strategy all around the world. Cory’s favorite job was as Zone Coordinator at the Missionary Training Center, overseeing training for all missionaries learning German, Polish, Greek, and Russian from 1982-1984.
Cory graduated from Mountain View H.S. in Mesa and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Brigham Young University and a Masters Degree in International Business from the University of South Carolina.
Cory created and staged “1856” The Musical, the story of the Mormon handcart pioneers of that year. Cory collaborated with Mildred West Wiseman Packard and Randy Kartchner on “1856”, which has been staged for over 30,000 people to positive reviews in five states.
“Crosses” is a mostly autobiographical story of experiences from Cory’s life. He is pleased to have again collaborated with Randy Kartchner, who is responsible for all of the music in the project.
Cory has been employed in international business for the past 26 years with NCR, AT&T, and Cisco Systems. He is currently a Senior Director of Strategy and Operations at Cisco Systems and has worked in Finance, Business Development, Operations, and Strategy all around the world. Cory’s favorite job was as Zone Coordinator at the Missionary Training Center, overseeing training for all missionaries learning German, Polish, Greek, and Russian from 1982-1984.
Cory graduated from Mountain View H.S. in Mesa and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from Brigham Young University and a Masters Degree in International Business from the University of South Carolina.
Cory created and staged “1856” The Musical, the story of the Mormon handcart pioneers of that year. Cory collaborated with Mildred West Wiseman Packard and Randy Kartchner on “1856”, which has been staged for over 30,000 people to positive reviews in five states.
“Crosses” is a mostly autobiographical story of experiences from Cory’s life. He is pleased to have again collaborated with Randy Kartchner, who is responsible for all of the music in the project.
Randy Kartchner

As a seasoned producer, songwriter,arranger and orchestrator, Randy has numerous record projects to his credit in several genres including pop, rock, R&B, gospel and orchestral. He co-produced and also arranged/orchestrated a movie single performed by singer/songwriting sensation, Krystal. Additionally, he has worked on projects with such industry greats as Gladys Knight, Phillip Ingram and Joe Pizzulo, and done production work for projects including members of The Jets, Curtis Mayfield, Ice "T" and Latoya Jackson. He has also worked in the Christian market with FFH, Michelle Tumes, Spirit Bound and others. The 2003 #1 Christian AC hit for the group FFH, “You Found Me”, features some of Randy’s arranging work.
In addition to his busy recording schedule, Randy has been musical director/keyboardist for the Osmond Brothers, keyboardist for Marie Osmond, and played on national television for Debbie Gibson, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Clint Holmes, John Snyder, The Lettermen, Ben Vereen, Carol Lawrence, and Connie Stevens. He has done musical arrangements and played in the A-band for the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, and also been the musical director/arranger and keyboardist for benefit concerts featuring Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Debbie Gibson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Freda Payne and others.
Through television, radio, and cable networks, Randy’s compositions for companies such as Network Music and others, are heard all over the world. Programs such as: “Lifestyles Of The Rich and Famous,” “Wheel Of Fortune,” “Travel Travel,” “Wild About Animals,” “Danger Zone,” “My Classic Car,” and “Jerry Baker Gardening” are a few of the shows that broadcast his music in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan & the United Kingdom. His music can also be heard on intimate television portrait specials of Celine Dion, Kurt Russell, Phyllis Diller, Debbie Allen, Diahann Carroll, Holly Hunter, Jaclyn Smith, Judith Light, Marlee Matlin, Oksana Baiul, biographies of Kurt Russell and Steven Spielberg, and also in the HBO movie, “The Clubhouse Detectives”.
Randy has also produced and written music for the stage. The recent inspirational musical, “1856” showcases his consummate and sensitive orchestrational skills and features several selections which also credit him for his songwriting. In addition, Randy has released several inspirational projects including a solo piano CD “Peace,” an instrumental album of reflective, poignant original compositions and “In His Holy Name,” a beautiful inspirational CD with Vickey Taylor. Along with shopping tunes currently in the publishing catalog, Randy is in production for a new musical, “Crosses” with Adelaide Music Group partner, Cory Ellsworth, and just released a single, “I’ll Find You” co-written and performed with Jason Deere (SHeDaisy, Jessica Simpson, Leann Rimes, Jim Brickman, etc.)
Randy has a B.A. in Music, with emphasis in studio composition. Residing in the Nashville area, Randy is a partner in Adelaide Music Group, and works as a songwriter, producer, arranger, conductor and musician.
In addition to his busy recording schedule, Randy has been musical director/keyboardist for the Osmond Brothers, keyboardist for Marie Osmond, and played on national television for Debbie Gibson, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Clint Holmes, John Snyder, The Lettermen, Ben Vereen, Carol Lawrence, and Connie Stevens. He has done musical arrangements and played in the A-band for the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, and also been the musical director/arranger and keyboardist for benefit concerts featuring Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Debbie Gibson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Freda Payne and others.
Through television, radio, and cable networks, Randy’s compositions for companies such as Network Music and others, are heard all over the world. Programs such as: “Lifestyles Of The Rich and Famous,” “Wheel Of Fortune,” “Travel Travel,” “Wild About Animals,” “Danger Zone,” “My Classic Car,” and “Jerry Baker Gardening” are a few of the shows that broadcast his music in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan & the United Kingdom. His music can also be heard on intimate television portrait specials of Celine Dion, Kurt Russell, Phyllis Diller, Debbie Allen, Diahann Carroll, Holly Hunter, Jaclyn Smith, Judith Light, Marlee Matlin, Oksana Baiul, biographies of Kurt Russell and Steven Spielberg, and also in the HBO movie, “The Clubhouse Detectives”.
Randy has also produced and written music for the stage. The recent inspirational musical, “1856” showcases his consummate and sensitive orchestrational skills and features several selections which also credit him for his songwriting. In addition, Randy has released several inspirational projects including a solo piano CD “Peace,” an instrumental album of reflective, poignant original compositions and “In His Holy Name,” a beautiful inspirational CD with Vickey Taylor. Along with shopping tunes currently in the publishing catalog, Randy is in production for a new musical, “Crosses” with Adelaide Music Group partner, Cory Ellsworth, and just released a single, “I’ll Find You” co-written and performed with Jason Deere (SHeDaisy, Jessica Simpson, Leann Rimes, Jim Brickman, etc.)
Randy has a B.A. in Music, with emphasis in studio composition. Residing in the Nashville area, Randy is a partner in Adelaide Music Group, and works as a songwriter, producer, arranger, conductor and musician.
Singers
Mike Eldred

Mike Eldred is one of North America’s most in-demand and beloved tenors, thrilling audiences in concert halls, on Broadway, and on recordings, radio and television. He appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables as “Jean Valjean”, and in the original cast of the Tony-nominated The Civil War. He performed in the 25th anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, and starred as “The Tenor” in the 2010 national concert tour of Handel’s Messiah Rocks. His starring role as “Tony” in the Nashville Symphony’s production of West Side Story has earned international praise as “arguably the best ‘Tony’ on record”. The cast recording featuring Eldred was released on NAXOS International.
Eldred was featured in the PBS Soundstage concert and DVD entitled Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx, Live with Symphony Orchestra. He has won numerous performance awards, including Tennessean Actor of the Year and Nashville Scene’s Best Musical Theatre Performer, and was nominated as Nashville Music Awards Male Vocalist of the Year.
Eldred has performed in concert with many of North America’s symphony orchestras, including Nashville, Seattle, Toronto, Indianapolis, Dallas, Baltimore, Kansas City, Long Beach, Chicago, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Houston, Fort Worth, and Edmonton. He has shared the stage with such artists as Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood, Jim Brickman, Luther Vandross, Vince Gill, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Michael Bolton, Dennis DeYoung, and Wynonna.
Upcoming engagements include appearances with symphonies of San Diego and Toronto, and the Naples Philharmonic, and a tour of Montana to benefit the CASA organization.
Eldred was featured in the PBS Soundstage concert and DVD entitled Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx, Live with Symphony Orchestra. He has won numerous performance awards, including Tennessean Actor of the Year and Nashville Scene’s Best Musical Theatre Performer, and was nominated as Nashville Music Awards Male Vocalist of the Year.
Eldred has performed in concert with many of North America’s symphony orchestras, including Nashville, Seattle, Toronto, Indianapolis, Dallas, Baltimore, Kansas City, Long Beach, Chicago, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, Houston, Fort Worth, and Edmonton. He has shared the stage with such artists as Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood, Jim Brickman, Luther Vandross, Vince Gill, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Michael Bolton, Dennis DeYoung, and Wynonna.
Upcoming engagements include appearances with symphonies of San Diego and Toronto, and the Naples Philharmonic, and a tour of Montana to benefit the CASA organization.