Hi!
Welcome to my page—it’s great to have you here!
I’m Dan and I’m a music director, pianist, singer, and actor residing in Atlanta, GA. My mission is to heal people through music. I’m currently music directing for AIDA Cruise Line and playing piano for holiday gigs in the Atlanta area. When I’m not making music, I enjoy going for runs, being out in nature, cat sitting, doing yoga and skincare, seeing live music, and reading. After 14 years in NYC, I’m excited to see what life in the South will bring—especially in the TV/FIlm industry. Actively seeking representation!
Fun Fact: My last name “Cake” is a shortened version of the name “Checchia.” My great-grandfather Daniel shortened it when he came to America from Italy in the early 1900s.
I was adopted when I was a few weeks old and grew up in the Allentown area of Pennsylvania. My birth Mom had two requirements for the family that would raise me: one parent had to be working in a medical field of some kind and the other come from a musical background so I could be put into music.
I began classical piano lessons at the age of 5 and soon became a competitive pianist and joined the school band playing clarinet until graduating high school. I fell in love with musical theatre once I booked the role of Friedrich at a local dinner theatre in Kutztown, PA and that changed everything! I knew piano would always be in my life but the feeling of being on stage brought such joy.
I decided to study musical theatre in college at the Hartt School in Connecticut. Studying abroad in Italy was the highlight, and spawned another passion: travel. I moved to NYC after graduating Summa Cum Laude and booked a gig performing with Disney Cruise Line. Alaska, Mexico, Nova Scotia and the Bahamas made me quite content for about 2 years. A few years later I traveled the world once again with Aida Cruise Line on five contracts as a singer covering travel to five continents. After spending years performing I’ve recently been promoted to be a music director for the cruise line.