Mr. Bayes began his studies at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri under the guidance of Harriet Ann Gray, head of the dance department. At the time he attended Stephens, academic credit was not extended to male students, but they were thoroughly trained in multiple areas of the arts. Hence his background studies were in directing, choreography, composition, lighting, and set design. All male students trained in dance, acting, and voice, performing in dance concerts, dramas, musicals and opera, but his main focus was in direction and dance composition. After completing his studies there, he moved to NY, where he worked under directors and choreographers such as Daniel Petrie, Donald Sadler, Harold Prince and Jerome Robbins. He studied under the American Ballet School and Nannette Chyrisse among others. He moved into the area of direction and choreography soon after arriving in NY. Jerome Robbins (who he danced for in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF), became his mentor critiquing Mr. Bayes’ compositions and encouraging him in his pursuit of a career as a director/choreographer. Frank Loesser took him under wing giving him his first job as choreographer of the Broadway musical, Canterbury Tales, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Shortly after finishing that assignment he began to stage productions overseas. Mr. Robbins asked him to direct and choreograph the Japanese version of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and Frank Loesser sent him to Sydney Australia to direct and choreograph that production of Canterbury Tales. This was the beginning of his long and exciting association with foreign producers. Abroad he has staged many musicals and plays and even wrote an original musical, which was produced in Japan. He has been recognized for his contributions to theater abroad receiving numerous awards for outstanding work in the theater. He has developed and mounted live and film productions for major corporations. His Reading Rainbow segment received recognition by the House of Representatives in Washington DC as an example of good programming for children. His recently finished play, One Man’s War had its world premiere at the Hartt School, a performing arts extension of the University of Hartford. He designed and directed his own adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s TV classic Cinderella, for the KOMA Theater in Tokyo and also the Japanese production of the award winning play Master Class for the Saison Theater in Tokyo. The production received five theater awards given by the National Press Association of Japan.
Mr. Bayes and his associate have formed a new production company (New Century Productions, Inc.) that produces tours of Broadway Musicals across the country. Some of his directorial credits include:
Lend Me A Tenor, I Hate Hamlet, Broadway Bound, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Oliver, Annie, Chicago, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Man of La Mancha, Pippin, West Side Story, Stop the World I Want to Get Off, Canterbury Tales, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and more. In 2001 Mr. Bayes became the CEO/Artistic Director of Orpheus Theatre in Oneonta NY.