SELECT MUSICAL REVIEWS
Heavner’s piano playing is most impressive. “Always Patsy Cline”
The well-rehearsed band, featured clearly outstanding piano work in the authentic style by Mike Heavner. His convincing, bluesy interpretation provided the perfect accompaniment for Welch’s vocals. “Always Patsy Cline”
Although all the characters had amazing voices, a lot of credit has to be given to the band led by Michael Heavner, never missed a step. It accommodated the players wonderfully, and in my opinion, should have been brought out to center stage to receive a strongly deserved ovation. “Blues in the Night”
The Secret Garden at the Argenta Community Theater magical … Michael Heavner’s orchestrations serve the show well.
Special mention is in order for the musicians behind the scenes, musical director Charles Creath, a Motown Records artist and producer, shares the keyboard duties with Michael Heavner, and both do excellent work. “DreamGirls”
Finally, a hearty salute to the band and musical director/conductor, Michael Heavner on keyboards, their energy and first-rate musicianship enhance the trio of performers and provide some of the shows finest moments. These guys are smoking. “Idols of the King”
SERVICES
Piano | Keyboards | Guitar
Online Recording Collaboration
Orchestrations for Theatre and Songwriters
Audio Editing - Restoration
Sound Designs For Any Project
Live Bands For Any Occasion
Have a question related to my services? No project is too big or too small!
BIO
Michael Heavner is a highly versatile freelance musician and educator with a comprehensive music education and performance background.
Michael’s academic experience includes serving as a full-time instructor at the University of Arkansas Department of Music and the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, as an artist in Residence at the University of Central Arkansas, College of Fine Arts and Communication, and as a Guest Musical Director at Hendrix College in Conway, AR.
He holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Graduate School and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Notably, Michael also attained a Ph.D. in Honky Tonk Piano Performance from the esteemed Jimmy Doyle’s Country Club. Actively engaged in recording arts technology, he produces custom-recorded musical orchestrations and sound designs for theatre, radio, and artists nationally and internationally, most notably, Magdalena Meisel of Poland.
His career has encompassed national tours, where he performed as a musical director/keyboardist in equity tours of Blues in the Night, Idols of the King, and Always Patsy Cline across the United States. Michael has garnered further experience as a musical director/pianist for numerous equity and non-equity productions nationwide.
His repertoire includes performances with recording artists such as Grammy winner Larry Gatlin, Charley Pride, Earl Thomas Conley, Lawrence Hamilton, David Ball, Dale Hawkins, Narvel Felts, Mike Huckabee, The Platters, The Coasters, and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Percy Sledge. Furthermore, Michael’s prowess as a pianist is highlighted on two live CDs — “Back By Popular Demand” and “Standing Room Only” — by The Diamonds, a renowned “doo-wop” group that has been inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame.
Michael Heavner was an official 2024 and 2025 nominee in the Arkansas Country Music Awards for Specialty/Utility Musician of the Year.
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
White Hall School District
Music Teacher at Gandy Elementary, White Hall, AR (K-5) 2025
UA Little Rock, Department of Music
Full-Time Instructor
MUED 5192 -04 SS Digital Audio MIDI
MUED 5192 -03 SS, MIDI
MUED 4292 03 SS, Digital Audio MIDI
MUTH 4290 02 SS, Basic Theory Concepts
MUED 4192 04 SS MIDI
MUPR 3217-01 MIDI
MUPR 2217-01 MIDI -12370
MUAP 2254-01 ST MIDI 62425
MUAP 2254-01 ST 11887
MUAP 2254-02 Digital Audio
MUPR 2117-01 MIDI
MUPR 1217-01 MIDI
MUPR 1117-01 MIDI
MUPR 1226-03 Piano
MUPR 1126-03 Piano
UA Little Rock, Department of Theatre Arts and Dance
Full-Time Instructor/Musical Director/Principle Dance Musician
• DANC 3240-01 Music for Dance
• DANC 4340 01 Musical Theatre Workshop
• THEA 2359-01 IT for Theatre and Dance
• THEA ST 4159 02 Sound Design for Theatre
• THEA 4160 02 Independent Study
UA Little Rock Additional Services, Department of Theatre Arts and Dance
• Princelple Dance Musician for Ballet and Modern Courses.
• Frontend Website and Social Media Manager
• Online Ticket Sales Manager
• Digital Photo Archivist
• Sound Designer (select productions)
• Musical Director/Orchestration Production: the performing and recording music for live playback to be sung, danced, and performed in live productions.
• Vigorous recruitment efforts on behalf of UA Little Rock
• Worked with Google and Google Maps for over two years to establish map coordinates for parking lots 4, 5, and 6 on the south side of campus and the University Theatre, Center for Performing Arts.
• Represented UA Little Rock as the principal dance musician for the annual American College Dance Association in the Southern Region of the United States, performing for dance and master classes.
Hendrix College, Department of Theatre Arts
Hendrix College-Guest Musical Director 2011 and 2013
University of Central Arkansas, College of Fine Arts and Communication
Artist in Resident 2011
Guest Musical Director 2022
SHOWS, ORCHESTRATIONS AND SOUND DESIGNS
Past Productions
Note: Orchestration production is the creation and production of orchestrations used for live musical performances and rehearsals. For each show (production), every part of the orchestration is skillfully performed and recorded. Each song can then be customized to the director, choreographer, and performers’ desired tempo and keys, including any cuts or edits. Ultimately, the orchestrations/music produced are cued (played back) for performances using computer software such as Qlab Show Cue System.
Pianist for the musical Honky Tonk Angels
Orchestration production for the musical ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Orchestration production for the musical, DREAMGIRLS
Guest Artist/Musical Director, University of Central Arkansas for their production of the musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Orchestration production for the musical, WIZARD OF OZ
Sound Designer A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (Equity Production)
Sound Designer PRIMATING (Equity Production)
Musical Director and Orchestration production for the musical, BILLY ELLIOT
Orchestration production for the musical, ANNIE
Orchestration production for the musical, MARRY POPPINS
Orchestration production for the musical, DISNEY’S NEWSIES
Orchestration production for the musical, ELF
Orchestration production for the musical, GREASE
Orchestration production for the musical, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Orchestration production for the musical, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
Musical director and orchestration production for the musical, THE ALL NIGHT STRUT!
Orchestration production for the musical, SWEET CHARITY
Orchestration production for the musical, THE SECRET GARDEN
Orchestration production for the musical, BRIGADOON
Orchestration production for the musical, HAIRSPRAY
Musical Director and orchestration production for the musical, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Orchestration production for the musical, OKLAHOMA
Musical Director for the musical, SOUTH PACIFIC
Orchestration production at North Texas Central College for the musical, LEGALLY BLONDE (selections)
Artist in Residence, University of Central Arkansas, Musical Director/Guitarist /Pianist for their production of the musical SPRING AWAKENING
Guest Musical Director, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
Musical Director and Orchestration production for the musical, THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Musical Director and Orchestration production for the musical, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
Orchestration production for the musical, THE MUSIC MAN
Musical Director/Pianist for the musical, ALWAYS PATSY CLINE
Guest Musical Director/Pianist, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas for the musical, VIOLET THE MUSICAL
Orchestration production for the musical, ANNIE
Musical Director/Keyboardist for the musical, ALWAYS PATSY CLINE (Equity Production)
Orchestration production for the musical, MY FAIR LADY
Keyboardist for the musical, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Musical Director and Orchestration production for the musical, GUYS AND DOLLS: A musical fable of Broadway
Musical Director/Keyboardist for the musical, THE FULL MONTY (Equity Production)
Orchestration production for the musical, LOST ON ROUTE 66 Christmas Show
Featured pianist on two live CDs by THE DIAMONDS’ STANDING ROOM ONLY! AND BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.
Musical Director for the musical, LOST IN THE FIFTIES, Omaha, Nebraska.
Musical Arranger and Orchestration production for the musical, LOST ON ROUTE 66
Keyboardist for the musical, CHILDREN OF EDEN (Equity Production)
Pianist for the musical, MY FAIR LADY, two piano arrangements (Equity Production)
Keyboardist for the musical, DREAMGIRLS (Equity Production)
Keyboardist for the musical, CINDERELLA (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Keyboardist for the musical, THE SPITFIRE GRILL (Equity Production)
Keyboardist for the musical, GYPSY (Equity Production)
Musical Arranger and Orchestration production for the musical, TWIST THE NIGHT AWAY
Musical Director/Pianist for the musical, ANNIE (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Pianist for the musical, LOST IN THE FIFTIES, in Savannah, Georgia
Keyboardist for the musical, CABARET (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Conductor for THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Equity Production)
Resident Musical Director/Pianist for LOST IN THE FIFTIES, in Mackinaw City, Michigan
Keyboardist for the musical, JOSEPH & AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Equity Production)
Resident Musical Director/Pianist for LOST IN THE FIFTIES, in Mackinaw City, Michigan
Musical Director/Pianist for the national tour of the Tony Award-nominated musical, BLUES IN THE NIGHT (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Keyboardist for the musical, GODSPELL (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Keyboardist for the premiere national tour of IDOLS OF THE KING (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Pianist for the production of ALWAYS PATSY CLINE at the Robinson Auditorium (Equity Production)
Musical Director/Pianist for the production of ALWAYS PATSY CLINE in Jackson, Mississippi (Equity Production)
Conductor/Keyboardist for the musical, BEEHIVE in Jackson, Mississippi (Equity Production),
Musical Director/Pianist for the national tour of ALWAYS PATSY CLINE (Equity Production)
