Charles Pridgen is a performer, music director, and host whose work spans musical theatre, live entertainment, and concert performance. A Kansas City-based artist for over a decade, he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance from the University of Missouri–Kansas City, along with undergraduate and graduate degrees in music performance from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Known for his commanding stage presence, quick wit, and rich, versatile voice, Charles has taken on a wide range of roles, including Anatoly in Chess (MidLife Players), George in Moon Over Buffalo (Little Theatre of Weston), Van Helsing in Dracula (Weston Community Theatre), and the title role in Macbeth (CA Studio). In You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, he uniquely performed as Schroeder while simultaneously playing piano in the pit—accompanying not only himself, but the entire cast—highlighting both his musicianship and theatrical versatility. Most recently, he tackled the formidable dual role of Music Director and Sweeney Todd in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (River City Community Players), delivering both musical precision and a gripping, layered portrayal of Sweeney that was haunting, masterful, and positively terrifying in the most magnificent way.

Offstage, Charles is a highly sought-after music director, vocal coach, and pianist, collaborating with a wide range of performance groups throughout the Kansas City area and beyond. He currently serves as Music Director at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Lawrence, KS.

Charles is the owner of Lagniappe Entertainment, where his natural charisma truly takes center stage. As a host and personality for karaoke, trivia, dueling pianos, and other live events, he has an instinctive ability to read a room, energize a crowd, and create an atmosphere where everyone feels like part of the show. Whether onstage, behind the piano, or on the mic, Charles brings a magnetic presence, sharp musicality, and a genuine love of connecting with people to every event he leads.