Joni Yeater

The middle daughter of an Indiana Methodist Minister, Joni started singing in the church practically before she could even walk. Her first directorial debut was in the third grade when she and a group of gal pals decided that there was no reason that The Sound of Music couldn’t work with an all girl cast. Borrowing choir robes from her father’s church and buying a few yards of black fabric, she became the Costumer as well as being Maria. Thus it began!

Having graduated from the Indiana University School of Music as a voice major, Joni’s experience has expanded beyond just being a singer, to acting, casting, directing, producing and even the business side of the television industry. Somewhere in the midst of the entertainment industry, she found time to stretch her designing skills and earned herself a Patent.

Joni’s New York regional credits include leading roles in Guys and Dolls, Hello! Dolly, Sweet Charity, The King and I, Good News, The Music Man, Man of La Mancha, and My Fair Lady along with a lot of Extra and Under 5 days on the TV Soap Opera All My Children. Needing some “time away” from The Big Apple, she travelled a good portion of the world singing onboard Holland America Cruise ships, and eventually became an onboard Rehearsal Director for the cast and orchestra.

Heading west to Los Angeles, Joni started doing her own one woman show at clubs such as The Beverly Hills Ramada Inn, Hollywood’s Carlos & Charlie’s, The Rose Tattoo, Perrino’s, and The Gardenia. She sang opera in the evenings at Verdi’s in Santa Monica for three years, while being part of the Programming and Development department for television at 20th Century Fox.

Joni was very involved with her church in Santa Monica, St. Monica’s, not only as a Cantor, but also sang for a weekly service for the Mentally Disabled Youth, and a substitute Director for their well-known Sunday 5:30pm choir. This is where she converted to Catholicism.

Outside of the church, she was involved with the annual fundraiser for the St. Joseph Center (for the homeless) Benefit. Joni especially took great pride in I REMEMBER. . . .A Celebration of Life, which was a very successful fundraiser for The City of Angels Hospice, hosted by Micky Dolenz. She produced, directed and starred in it.

Moving to Las Vegas in 2000, in addition to being the Vocal Director for a Performing Arts Studio (Westside Arts) and the Music Director for the 2000 ESPY AWARDS at the MGM Grand, she immediately branched out further in the community. Being an educated musician and excellent sight reader, thankfully, one church job led to another and another.

She currently cantors at Guardian Angel Cathedral (where she is also the Substitute Choir Director), St. Joseph Husband of Mary (where she also directs the Teen Choir each Sunday), St. Anthony of Padua, and St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Churches in Las Vegas.

​Joni is a Canine mom and enjoys her volunteer work with the Las Vegas Labrador Rescue as a Home Inspector, from whom she adopted her current two Labrador children.