Rhett Guter, an award-winning director, choreographer and actor, will be the winter 2026 Granada Artist-in-Residence serving as director and choreographer for The Drowsy Chaperone, the Department of Theatre and Dance’s winter quarter production. 

As a director, Guter has created groundbreaking theatrical experiences across multiple venues and formats. He co-created the musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol with composer Adam Record, for which he wrote the adaptation, directed, and choreographed the production that has become a beloved Southern Utah Christmas tradition, now in its third successful year. The production has sold out every performance, requiring additional shows to meet demand.

His directing portfolio includes the critically acclaimed Hadestown Teen Edition for Encore’s innovative “Show with a Pro” program, which combines seasoned professionals with emerging young artists. At Hunterdon Hills Playhouse, he directed I Left My Dignity in My Other Purse starring Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company) and served as both director and choreographer for the immersive musical Take Me Away, which was praised for creating “a new dinner theatre experience that puts audiences right in the middle of the action.”

Guter’s choreography has earned him national recognition, including a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for his innovative work on West Side Story at Drury Lane Theatre and a Broadway World Best Choreography Award for Cabaret at PCPA. His choreographic vision spans classical and contemporary works, bringing fresh perspective to beloved classics while creating original movement vocabulary for new works.

His extensive choreography credits include: The Music Man, Anything Goes, and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival; Bat Boy at the Griffin Theatre; Annie at Performance Riverside; A Christmas Story: The Musical at the Paramount Theatre; and West Side Story at St. George Musical Theater. At the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he spent eight seasons as a company member, Guter also choreographed multiple productions while serving in various performing capacities.

Drawing from his extensive performance background, Guter brings a performer’s insight to his creative leadership. He recently completed his acclaimed run as Rooster Hannigan in the national tour of Annie, performing at Madison Square Garden opposite Whoopi Goldberg. Critics have praised his performances as “mesmerizing” and with “the charisma of a vaudeville star,” while The New York Times noted he is “oozing with charm” and described him as “a terrific dancer.”

A Connecticut Critics Circle Award winner for his portrayal of Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie at the prestigious Goodspeed Opera House, Guter also earned a Critics Circle nomination for his “chipper yet interestingly moody” portrayal of Curly in Oklahoma! at the same venue. His performance drew comparisons to James Dean and young Marlon Brando from critics.

His principal acting credits span major regional theaters nationwide, including: Tulsa in Gypsy at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre (where he also served as assistant choreographer and dance captain); Harry Beaton in Brigadoon at The Goodman Theatre; Al in A Chorus Line and Munkustrap in Cats at the Paramount Theatre; and Bert in Mary Poppins at the Olney Theatre Center.

At the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he received the Michael & Jan Finlayson Award in 2013 for recognition of his dedication and artistic talent, Guter’s credits include: The Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher (which he also choreographed), The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, Chris in The Play That Goes Wrong, Mr. Knightley in Emma: The Musical, and Houdini in Ragtime. He also toured internationally as Action in West Side Story, opening in Berlin, Germany and closing after a sold-out ten weeks in Paris, France.

Perhaps most uniquely, Guter is an accomplished professional magician with over 20 years of experience in the art of illusion. As resident director and writer for renowned magician Bill Blagg, he has developed expertise not only as a performer but as a creator and consultant in the magical arts. His theatrical magic consulting credits include work on productions of The Tempest and Ragtime at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he brings his dual expertise in theater and illusion to enhance dramatic storytelling.

His professional magic work spans corporate entertainment and celebrity performances. Recent corporate clients include Northwestern Mutual, Soho House, 20th Century Fox, and JP Morgan. His close-up magic has entertained high-profile celebrities including John Krasinski, who praised him as “one of the best,” Whoopi Goldberg, and David Schwimmer. His magic performances have taken him internationally, from New York’s Carnegie Hall to the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.

In his theatrical work, Guter seamlessly weaves his magical expertise into his performances, with critics noting his ability to make props “vanish into thin air” during live shows. This skill was particularly highlighted in his portrayal of Rooster in Annie, where his sleight-of-hand creates genuine moments of astonishment for audiences.

Guter, the artistic director of Encore Performing Arts, is a graduate of Southern Utah University with degrees in Dance Performance and Musical Theatre, who has established himself as a versatile and innovative creative force in contemporary theater.