Marissa has been training in the disciplines of voice, acting, and dance from a young age. She has performed in musicals since she was 10 years old, and continues to be an active musical theatre performer. Recent roles include Yonah in Children of Eden, Mrs. Cratchit in Scrooge, Kate Mullins in Titanic, Andrina in The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins. Below, you can watch a short clip of Marissa performing in Children of Eden as Yonah.

​

Marissa enjoys bringing this "theatrical sparkle" to her teaching, especially by incorporating movement into the choral rehearsal and using her acting training to help students construct meaning when working on repertoire. She, of course, uses her knowledge of musical theatre style and vocal technique with her choirs when appropriate.