Who's Who in the Cast -
THE KING AND I
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JIM CORTI*
(Mr. Applegate)
appeared (and
disappeared!)
as Harry Houdini in
the original Broadway
cast of
Ragtime.
The show went on to
tour nationally with
him in the role of
Tateh. Last season
he was nominated for
a Helen Hayes Award
for his role in
She Loves Me
at Arena
Stage in Washington,
DC. In Chicago, he
is a Joseph
Jefferson
Award-winning actor
for his work in
Grand Hotel
at the
Marriott Theatre in
Lincolnshire.
Corti’s Broadway
credits include
A Chorus Line
and
Candide
and the
national tours of
Urinetown,
Cabaret
and Bob
Fosse’s
Dancin’.
He recently directed
Sweet Charity
in Chicago at
The Drury Lane
Oakbrook Terrace
Theatre.
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ASHLEE FIFE*
(Lola) is thrilled
to join the CDT
family! Her New York
City credits include
Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang
(Broadway),
Follies
(Encores!),
The Merry Widow
starring Placido
Domingo (The Met),
The Day Before
Spring
(The Mufti Series)
and seven years as a
Radio City Music
Hall Rockette.
Ashlee performed on
the first national
tour of
The Scarlet
Pimpernel
and
Some Like It Hot
starring Tony
Curtis. Some
regional highlights
include
Annie,
Lily St. Regis;
It’s a Wonderful
Life,
Violet Bick;
42nd Street,
Peggy Sawyer and
She Loves Me,
Ilona/us. Love to
Jeremy and my
family.
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BRANDON ANDRUS
(Rocky, Ensemble) is
grateful to perform
at the Carousel
Dinner Theater. He
performed in the
2003-2004 national
tour of
Oklahoma!,
Curly McClain. Other
roles include
Snow White – An
Enchanting Musical,
The Prince; Disney
Dreams,
Prince Charming;
Captain Jack Sparrow
and Batman. He
received his BFA
from Ithaca College.
Love to Mom, Dad and
wife Deven.
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ANTONETTE BALESTREI*
(Devilette, Ensemble,
u/s Lola) is thrilled
to make her Carousel
debut! Regional credits
include
West Side Story
(Fulton Opera House,
Maine State Music
Theatre and Pacific
Repertory);
Hot Mikado
(Westchester Broadway
Theatre);
Footloose,
A Funny Thing
Happened...
(Marriott Theatre);
The Music Man
(NC Theatre);
Peter Pan
(Pacific Repertory) and
the world premiere of
An American Vaudeville.
Thanks Marc, my CA/NY
families and my love,
Jeremy.
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JAMES E. BULLARD*
(Vernon, Ensemble)
Alabama native LOUD
AND PROUD, is
excited to make his
Carousel debut with
Damn Yankees.
Recent performances
include
Church
(Public Theatre) and
Plaid Tidings
(Arvada Center).
Favorite roles
include James
Wellerstein,
The Last Five Years;
Peachy Weil,
The Last Night of
Ballyhoo;
Jinx,
Forever Plaid;
and uncle to
Mckinley and Wesley.
James is a proud
member of Actors’
Equity. PFY |
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JULIE CARDIA*
(Gloria Thorpe)
recently performed
in
Titanic,
Alice, (Virginia
Musical Theatre) and
Wild Party,
Kate. Tours include
Annie
w/Kathy Lee Gifford
(MS Gardens);
Wizard of Oz
(Pittsburgh CLO,
Kansas City
Starlight, TOTS) and
A Christmas Carol.
Regional credits
include
Hair
(TUTS),
Mame, Showboat,
Music Man, My Fair
Lady
(Sacramento Music
Circus),
Celebrate Broadway
(Kennedy Center) and
Annie
(MS Gardens). Thanks
Marc!
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PATRICK CARROLL
(Welch, u/s Van
Buren) is happy to
return to Carousel
after last being
seen in
West Side Story.
He most recently
appeared in
We Gotta Bingo
at Playhouse Square
in Cleveland.
Patrick is a
graduate of AMDA in
NYC and has appeared
with the Cleveland
Opera, Great Lakes
Theatre Festival,
Beck Center and many
others. Thanks to
Marc and Sean for
this wonderful
opportunity. |
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CARILEIGH
CHRISOSTOMOU
(Doris, u/s Sister)
is delighted to be
working at the
Carousel! Credits
include national
tours, summer stock,
Disney Cruise Lines,
outdoor and regional
theater. Favorite
credits include
Thoroughly Modern
Millie,
Mrs. Meers;
Children of Eden,
Eve/Mama
Noah;
Lucky Stiff,
Landlady;
Anything Goes,
Reno Sweeney and
Footloose,
Wendy Jo. Cari is a
proud Jersey girl.
Always for you, Mom! |
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MICHAEL CICETTI
(Billy Moran,
Ensemble)
performed last
season at
Carousel in Marc
Robin’s West
Side Story.
Regional credits
include Big Bill
(Williamstown);
Singin’ in the
Rain, Superman!
(Wagon Wheel)
and Carmen (BalletMet
Columbus).
Chicago credits
La Boheme (Lyric
Opera of
Chicago) and
The Neofuturists
(Redmoon
Theater).
Michael studied
theater at
Northwestern
University.
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JERRY COYLE *
(Joe Boyd: later
called Hardy,
Commissioner,
Ensemble)
Critically-acclaimed
Off-Broadway
credit
Room Service,
Dr. Glass (Soho
Playhouse).
Regional credits
include
Jekyll & Hyde,
Bishop of
Basingstoke
(John W Engeman
Theater);
Guys & Dolls,
Nicely-Nicely
(Seattle
Repertory);
Present Laughter,
Fred;
The Fantasticks,
Hucklebee and
She Loves Me,
Head Waiter
(Dorset
Theatre). Film
credit “The Good
Shepherd”
(featured role)
plus numerous
industrials and
TV commercials.
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JANLEIGH HERNDON
*
(Meg Boyd)
Broadway credits
include
A Chorus Line
(Sheila) and
La Cage Aux
Folles.
Off-Broadway
credits include
The Last
Starfighter,
Liberace
and Light Opera
Manhattan.
Regional Leads
include
Mame,
Kiss Me Kate,
Evita,
Educating Rita,
The King and I,
42nd St.,
Pete ‘N” Keely
(opposite
husband, Stephen
Berger), among
others. TV
credits include
“Sex and the
City,” “Feds,”
“Ed” and “Trust
the Man.”
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JAMI KECK
(Ensemble), a
Michigan native,
is overjoyed to
be in Akron
(close to home!)
and make his
Carousel debut!
Past regional
productions
include
All Shook Up
(with director
Marc Robin),
Swing!
(PEG Tour),
Cats, Damn
Yankees
and
Oklahoma!
He would like to
thank his family
for their
endless support
and Marc and
Buddy for this
wonderful
opportunity!
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ANTHONY MAJEWSKI
(Sohovik,
Ensemble) has
recently
performed in
Fiddler on the
Roof;
Peter Pan,
Captain Hook;
A Chorus Line,
Bobby and
Beauty and the
Beast,
Gaston. He is a
graduate from
Millikin
University and a
proud new member
of Actor’s
Equity. He would
like to thank
his mother and
uncles for their
support! Play
ball!
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MITCH POULOS*
(Van Buren, u/s Joe
Boyd) recently performed
in
A Wonderful Life,
Uncle Billy (John W.
Engeman Theatre). Other
credits include
Cleveland episode of
NBC’s hit show “30
Rock,” costar; several
independent films and
can be currently seen in
a Boar’s Head
commercial. Mitch is
also a playwright (Shooting
Blanks
and
Gender Mercies)
and theater director. |
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BUDDY REEDER *
(Dance Captain,
Henry, Ensemble, u/s
Mr. Applegate,
Welch) Credits
include
Cats, Peter Pan,
Cabaret, Millie,
Swing, Anything
Goes, West Side
Story, 42nd Street,
Hello Dolly
and
Gypsy.
Director/
choreographer
credits include
Pump Boys and
Dinettes, All Shook
Up, Cats, Kama
Sutra, Some Like It
Hot, Anything Goes,
Annie
and
42nd Street.
Lyricist credit
These Little Piggies
Went to Trial.
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LEAJATO AMARA
ROBINSON *
(Larry,
Ensemble)
graduated from
The Juilliard
School with a
BFA/Dance. He
performed in
NYC’s
Shinbone Alley
(Musicals
Tonight).
Regional credits
include
Crazy For You
(North Shore
Music Theatre),
Dreamgirls
and
Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes
(Gateway
Playhouse) and
Annie Get Your
Gun
(NC Theatre).
American/European
tours and Las
Vegas credit
Tap Dogs.
Thanks to God,
Dad, Mom,
Michael and
Robert. AEA
member.
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JESSICA
ROCHWARGER
(Devilette,
Ensemble, u/s
Gloria Thorpe)
is thrilled to
be making her
Carousel debut!
Regional credits
include
Meet Me in St.
Louis
(Paper Mill
Playhouse) and
It’s a Wonderful
Life,
Violet (La
Comedia DT). She
has also
traveled through
out Europe and
the Caribbean as
a dancer on two
cruise ships.
She holds a BA
in dance from
Barnard College
at Columbia
University.
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NATHANIEL SHAW*
(Joe Hardy) is
thrilled to
return to
Carousel! Recent
credits include
Footloose,
Ren (Actors
Playhouse) and
Oklahoma,
Will Parker
(Lyric Theater
of Oklahoma).
Regional credits
include
West Side Story,
Riff (Carousel
Dinner
Theatre);
Ragtime,
Younger Brother
and
South Pacific,
Cable. NYC
credits include
The Paul Taylor
Dance Company,
Lanford Wilson’s
Burn This
and
Serenading Louie.
Love to Mom,
Dad, Brother and
Lisa-Lisa.
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JASON W.
SHUFFLER *
(Billy Hunter,
Ensemble, u/s
Joe Hardy) is
happy to be back
at Carousel,
having last been
seen as Kenickie
in
Grease.
Other credits
include national
tours of
Grease
and
Smokey Joe’s
Café,
Jesus
Christ Superstar
(NSMT), and a
Joseph Jefferson
Award nomination
for
Shenandoah
(Marriott
Lincolnshire).
BFA, Penn State.
Thanks to Marc
and Sean for the
gig and
family/friends
for their
love/support.
Proud Equity
member!
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NIKKI SWITZER
(Sister, u/s
Meg) Nikki was
last seen
creating the
role of the evil
Madame Omi in
the workshop of
the new musical
Sunfish.
Other regional
favorites
include:
Joseph,
Narrator (2x);
Honky Tonk
Angels,
Angela (2x);
Phantom
(2x);
42nd Street,
Maggie and
Pippin
with Rosie
O’Donnell and
Ben Vereen.
Thanks to cast,
crew, Bob Cline
and Marc! Enjoy!
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DEVEN WALKER
(Devilette,
Ensemble) is
thrilled to be
working at Carousel
Dinner Theatre!
Lyric theater credit
Footloose,
Urleen. She
performed in the
first national tour
of
Oklahoma,
Swing; on TV in
“Jimmy Kimmel Live,”
featured dancer and
as Ariel, (Disney
Cruise Line). BFA
Musical Theater from
Oklahoma City
University. Special
thanks to Mom, Dad,
Brother and husband
Brandon Andrus.
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HEATHER WHITE
(Devilette,
Ensemble), a
Vermont native,
graduated from
Barnard College
with a BA in
Dance. Her
favorite credits
include the
national tour of
The Will Rogers
Follies, West
Side Story
(Portland Center
Stage) and most
recently she
appeared in
Carousel’s hit
production of
White Christmas.
She lives with
her husband in
Manhattan.
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| Director |
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MARC ROBIN
(Director/Choreographer)
is proud to return to
Carousel where his
previous work includes
Cats,
Beauty and the Beast,
Swing!, Singin’ in the
Rain, Thoroughly Modern
Millie
and
The Nutcracker.
As a freelance director
and choreographer, he
has staged more than 200
productions across the
country in theaters such
as Phoenix Theatre
(Arizona), Walnut Street
(PA), TUTS (Texas), Utah
Shakespeare, Maine State
Music Theatre as well as
many Chicago venues
including Marriott’s
Theatre, Chicago
Shakespeare, Drury Lane
Oakbrook, Evergreen
Park, Northlight and
Steppenwolf. He has
received 16 Jefferson
Joseph Awards (42
nominations), 11 After
Dark Awards, three
Ari’Zoni” Awards and
last but not least, a
Light Opera Works
Lifetime Achievement
Award.
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Choreographer |
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Artistic Director |
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SEAN CERCONE
(Artistic Director) is in
his fifth season as the
artistic director at the
Carousel. Cercone began his
theatre career as the
founding artistic director
ofthe West Virginia
Shakespeare Festival. While
at Carousel, Cercone has
been responsible for the
development of a New Works
program and the creation of
Carousel’s Signature Series,
which consists of one main
stage productionper year
that is created through
environmental style. An
enthusiastic member of NAMT,
Cercone has been the
co-chair of the festival
selection committee and was
selected as one of
Crain’s Business
40 Under 40 Top Executives
of 2004. Directing credits
include
Hot L Baltimore, Tape, Danny
and the Deep Blue Sea, Brick
and the Rose, The House of
Yes, Pump Boys and Dinettes,
Swing!
and developmentof a new
musical
Cumberland Blues,
written by Drama
Logue-winner Michael Norman
Mann and music by Jerry
Garcia and Robert Hunter of
the Grateful Dead. Cercone
received his Master of Fine
Arts from West Virginia
University. He has worked as
a guest artist for the
Cleveland Shakespeare
Festival and American
College Dance Festival,
served as the board
president for the Cleveland
Theatre Collective and is
currently a proud board
member of the National
Alliance of Musical Theatre.
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| Production Staff |
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ROBERT ANDREW KOVACH
(Scenic Designer) is
thrilled to be designing
his 17th production for
the Carousel Dinner
Theatre. Carousel
favorites include Cats,
Sound of Music, West
Side Story, The Odd
Couple
and
White Christmas.
Regional favorites
include
Peter Pan
(Walnut Street Theatre),
South Pacific
(MSMT) and
Crazy for You
(Phoenix Theatre).
Chicago favorites
include
Always…Patsy Cline, Day
in Hollywood, The Most
Happy Fella, Kiss Me,
Kate
and
Suessical.
Robert has created
corporate designs AMRO,
Morgan Stanley, MTV’s
“Real World” and ConAgra
Foods. A special thanks
to Joe, Sean and David
for letting me join
their family.
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DALE DIBERNARDO (Resident Costume Designer)
has costumed for theater,
opera and television for the
past 18 years. Her credits
include
Lizzie Borden
at Goodspeed,
Stop
the World I Want To Get Off
for Clairol Broadway Series,
“The President” for PBS,
O’henry’s Lovers
at American Stage as well as
the premiers of
Another Summer, Crash Club
and
Will’s Women
at Cherry County Playhouse
as well as 13 years
designing for Woodloch Pines
Resort’s theme shows. A
former New Yorker, she now
makes her home in Akron. |
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MICHAEL STEIN*
(Stage Manager)
served as the stage manager
for 26 years for the
Carousel before taking on
the role of production
manager for several years
and has now returned to
stage manager. Michael’s
career at the Carousel has
taken him from the days of
the “in-the-round” theater
in Ravenna, Ohio to the
current “state of the art”
proscenium stage. Other
theater experience includes
Long Beach Civic Light
Opera; The Freedman Forum of
Anaheim, Calif.; Center
Civic Repertory of
Cleveland; The Kenley
Players in Warren, Ohio and
Macy’s Parade Day Studio.
Michael is the proud
grandfather of 4: Alexis,
Taylor, Zion and Chance. As
always love to Carlie for
her support. |
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PAUL BLACK
(Lighting Design), a
resident of Phoenix, Ariz.
is a freelance designer who
has designed for many
theaters throughout Phoenix
and the rest of the country.
Paul is the resident
lighting designer at the
Fulton Opera House in
Lancaster, Penn. and the
resident designer at Actor’s
Theatre of Phoenix where he
just finished his twelfth
season. Paul is thrilled to
be returning to the Carousel
where some of his favorite
designs have included
Cats, Swing!, Beehive, West
Side Story
and
Sound Of Music.
Paul has designed the
national tours of
Veggie Tales Live,
Tea At Five
with Kate Mulgrew, and
The Doctor Laura Tour.
Paul was the production
Wichita for 14 years. Paul
would like to thank his wife
Erica for all her love and
support. |
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STEVE
PARSONS
(Musical Director)
is in his fourth
year as the resident
musical director at
the Carousel Dinner
Theatre after
serving 10 years in
the same capacity at
The Players Guild
Theatre. Other
credits include The
Ohio Shakespeare
Company, Pittsburgh
Civic Light Opera
and productions in
New York.
Additionally, he
provided new
arrangements and
orchestrations for
Dean Pitchford’s
official revised
version of
Footloose, created
new versions of the
Nunsense scores for
creator Dan Goggin,
wrote original music
for the hit video
game “College Slam,”
and performed in the
Tickestra for the
FOX animated TV
series “The Tick.”
Steve was also the
arranger for the
Grateful Dead
musical Cumberland
Blues, which was
recently performed
at the New York
Musical Theatre
Festival. An active
composer and
orchestrator as well
as a member of
ASCAP, Steve has a
Bachelors and
Masters in
composition and
numerous published
symphonic pieces and
choral works. He is
also orchestrating
the regional musical
It’s a Wonderful
Life and is a
consultant and
contributor to the
upcoming biography
of legendary
songwriter Stephen
Schwartz.
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Additional Production Staff |
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ADAM NELSON*
(Assistant Stage
Manager)
TONY KOVACIC
(Technical
Coordinator)
TIM KING
(Assistant Technical
Coordinator)
JOSH MORGAN
(Crew
Chief)
LINDSEY CSUMITTA, ADAM
THATCHER
(Follow
Spot/Crew)
JEFF DAVIS
(Master Electrician)
MARK ASHMORE
(Audio Visual
Technician & House
Electrician)
TIM MONSON
(Assistant Lighting
Designer)
JOHN BRYANT
(Moving Light
Programmer)
JAMES O'CONNER
(Sound Engineer)
HOLLY CORNFIELD
(Wardrobe
Supervisor)
SALLIE FRAISE,
BETH GREENWALD, RUTH
HOWE, ANN LYMAN,
IONA STROUPE,
CHRISTINE TARAY,
SHIRLEY PURDY
(Costume
Crew)
VALERIE KUEHN
(Sculpture)
BEN DRUHOT,
VALERY KUEHN
(Carpenters)
JENNY HITMAR
(Scenic Artist)
CHRIS ROOD
(Prop Master)
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