Billy Budd

Herman Melville (1819 - 1891) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and poet. Although he experienced some success during his lifetime, he quickly faded from literary fame and did not regain popularity until the early 20th century, when Moby Dick was hailed as a literary masterpiece and paved the way for the critical celebration of his other works, including Billy Budd, Benito Cereno, and Bartleby, the Scrivener.

Michael Lackey is a professional theatre actor and voice artist with more than forty years of experience. A veteran of more than forty productions, he has performed Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera with four companies, doing over 3,500 performances and playing the title role more than 200 times. His voice has been heard on national television as an announcer for skating specials and in several commercials, and he has narrated several audiobooks.