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Home , Anna in the Tropics, A Chorus Line, Billy Flynn (Chicago), Cats (musical), Chess (musical), City of Angels (musical)

CATS

JOHN ANTHONY LOPEZ () is a graduate of the Crane School of Music (voice/Patricia Misslin). Regional Credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Beast), (Emile), Jane Eyre (Rochester), La Traviata (Alfredo), The Magic Flute (Tamino). NYC/Metro Credits include: /VLOG NYC (Tevye), The Seed of Abraham FringeNYC (Joshua), The Man in the Iron Mask/WVMTF (Aramis), 7:32 the musical/reading (Charles Collins), /NJ (Baker). Love and thanks to his son, Corey, who keeps him afloat. Thanks Kiddo. johnanthonylopez.com

DAVID RAIMO* (Munkustrap) honored to be playing the role of Munkustrap with the WPPAC family. Originally from Duluth, MN, David headed south to attend college at where he earned his B.F.A. in Musical . After graduating in '07, David has performed on four Broadway National Tours including: (Fred Casely/Billy Flynn), (Munkustrap), Joseph ...Dreamcoat (Simeon), and Mamma Mia! (Sky). Other favorite credits: (Ensemble) at the Bowl, the world premiere of Life Could Be A Dream (Skip) and (Joe Hardy). David would like to thanks his family and friends for their endless support. www.davidraimo.com

DEVON YATES* (Grizabella) is thrilled to be making her WPPAC debut with CATS, and is proud to be walking in the footsteps her mother did as a few years ago! A native to the small town of Edinboro, PA, she is a 2010 Music graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, and now currently resides in NYC. Some of her past Regional credits include: Lippa's Wild Party(Queenie), (Lucille Frank), (Eva Peron), the non-union premiere of ALW's Phantom of the (Carlotta Guidicelli), the regional premiere of BKLYN: the Musical(Faith), and (Florence). Thank you to Jeremy, Greg, Kurt, Larry, and everyone involved with the WPPAC for making this an amazing process. Also, thank you to all of my friends, my family, my Mom, Dad, and Jesse for their UNENDING support. And last, but never least, thank you to the most amazing friend/roommate any gal could ever ask for, my shroomie Michael. Proud AEA member. This one's for you Mom and Dad!

JEREMY QUINN (Director) After spending three seasons as the Artistic Director for the CONSERVATORY THEATRE, Jeremy has recently become the Producing Artistic Director for both Mainstage and Conservatory programming here at White Plains Performing Arts Center. During his tenure with the CONSERVATORY he produced and directed: All Shook Up, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Starmites, , A , Fame, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Wedding Singer as well as directing last summer’s Edges for the New Series and for Harrison Summer Theatre. This season (2011-2012) he directed the NY Regional Premiere of Spring Awakening and will be directing Cats, Rocky Horror, Lend Me A and The Secret Garden; all here at WPPAC. A proud member of Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild since 1997; Mr. Quinn received a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Miami, graduated from the professional program at The Conservatory for Dramatic Arts School of Film & Television and is celebrating 30 years in the industry. Originally from South Florida, he has acted in or directed over 200 theatrical productions including Off & Off-Off Broadway, two National Tours and several regional including: The Kennedy Center in D.C., The Jupiter Center for the Performing Arts, The Ring Theatre, Actors' Playhouse and The Kravis Center in Florida, the Theatre (Riverspace), and Westchester in NY, the Stockbridge Dinner Theatre in Massachusetts, as well as The Ridgefield Theatre Barn and Troupers Light Opera in Connecticut. Film and television appearances include River of Stone, Highs and Lows, Delivering Milo, La Florida, Celebrity, Cradle Will Rock, Pollock, Shaft, Dellaventura, Falcone, The Sopranos, Now and Again and a recurring role on ABC’s B.L. Stryker. He can also be heard as the voice of “Phink” in the Sci-Fi Network’s animated series, Mean Planet as well as several commercial and industrial voice-overs. NYC directing credits include: Damaged, Daddy Was The Biggest Stagemother in Texas!, Saturday Night, Sylvia, True West and most recently the Off Broadway production of Lights & Music at the 45th Street Theatre. Mr. Quinn is a member of the prestigious Theater Directors Lab, serves as the Associate Director for Broadway and Off Broadway’s annual Theatre World Awards, is an Associate Producer for Broadway for a New America, was the Artistic Director of Educational Theatre at Westchester Broadway Theatre, co-founder and Executive Director of the Island City Theatre Project, co-founder and past President of The Actors Alliance, and a former member of the Board of Directors at the New York Youth Theatre.

GREG BACCARINI (Co-Director & Choreographer) has worked extensively throughout the New York area with many professional and youth theatre companies, as well as several high school theatre programs. Greg most recently served as Resident Director of Yorktown Stage in Yorktown Heights, NY, where he directed and choreographed Seussical, , Godspell, Oklahoma, , Footloose starring Edward Staudenmayer (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and Wonderland), Into the Woods and . Other directing/choreography credits include regional productions of Honk! with Adam Chanler-Berat, Skylar Astin, Erich Bergen and Sara Kramer, , , Working, Curtains and The Sound of Music starring Sarah Uriarte Berry and Martin Vidnovic. Most recently, Greg had the opportunity to work with Craig Schulman (Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera) in Fiddler on the Roof at Yorktown Stage. Greg has also worked with Saddle River Day School (Saddle River, NJ), New Youth Performing Theatre (Bedford, NY), Helen Hayes Youth Theatre (Nyack, NY), Nyack Middle School (Nyack, NY), Franklin Youth Theatre (Winnsboro, LA), Strauss Theatre Center (Monroe, LA) and Renaissance Theatre Academy (White Plains, NY). In 2001, Greg was recognized with the Helen Hayes Theatre Award for Outstanding Choreography. In addition to directing and choreographing, Greg is a professional actor and has performed extensively throughout the U.S. in regional theatre and national touring companies of and . Many thanks to Jeremy Quinn for this wonderful opportunity and to the staff and crew at WPPAC for making me feel so welcome. For more information, please visit gregbaccarini.com.

LEND ME A TENOR

JORGE ACOSTA* (Tito Merelli) makes his WPPAC debut in Lend Me a Tenor. NY credits include Uncle Luis in Ghost Dancer, Manolo in 167 Tongues, Juan in Daniel, The Red King in Alice, A New Musical, Father Caruso in Transubstantiation, and Brian in . Mr. Acosta recently made his network TV debut in 30 ROCK where he yelled at Tina Fey in Spanish (She yelled right back - also in Spanish). Regional credits include The Frogs, Evita, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, , , Waiting For Godot, Hamlet, Love’s Labours Lost, Lend Me A Tenor and Romeo and Juliet. Directing credits include 9 Parts Of Desire, Boy Gets Girl, The Merry Widow, , Fiddler On the Roof, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and The Laramie Project. Jorge is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (since 1986) and is immensely grateful for the opportunity of a life in the arts.

MARIA SILVERMAN* (Maria) made her professional debut on Broadway in ’s Tony Award-winning revival of A View From the Bridge. Since then, she has appeared in over 30 productions, including 14 world premieres. Highlights include: Off-Broadway: Tales from the Tunnel, Beachwood Drive. New York: Open Rehearsal, Tech Support, Skin.Flesh.Bone., Cool Blues (NFT), Dreamers of the Day, Macbeth, Uncle Vanya, The Contrast, Galileo, S/HE (dir. Jose Zayas), As You Like It, The Seagull, (dir.Woodie King Jr.), Cclit (Atlantic Theater Second Stage), Expressing Willie, Nights at the NY Fringe), and Embracing Freedom (Ellis Island). Regional: Ismail Khalidi’s Tennis in Nablus, John Biguenet’s Night Train, The Fever Chart (dir. Elena Araoz), Shining City, Trio Sonata, Darkness to Light, Camino Real, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Crucible, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. B.A. in Theatre and Chinese from Yale University and postgraduate training at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. [email protected]

JAYE BEETEM (Scenic Design) is an associate professor of Theatre at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA. She has worked in colleges and theatres from coast to coast as a TD/designer. Jaye is the for Monarch who recently appeared at The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre and The Performance Garage in Philadelphia. For the past 20 years, Jaye has been the Production Designer for the Public Education Foundation’s award winning Summer Musical Program in Evansville, IN.

ANDREW GMOSER (Lighting Design) created the lighting and visual effects for our acclaimed production of Cats this past December. Over the years he has created the sets and/or lighting for a multitude of productions throughout Westchester and beyond, and is the proud recipient of the Cab Calloway Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Performing Arts in Westchester. Andrew loves his job designing lighting for all levels of theatre, from high school programs through professional Broadway-caliber productions. For over thirty years he was set and lighting designer (and from time to time, director) for Asbury Summer Theatre, and just completed his 19th season with the MacHaydn Theatre in upstate New York. Most notably, since 1990 he has designed the lighting and visual effects for all mainstage productions at Westchester Broadway Theatre. Through his company, Silent G Productions, Andrew provides theatrical lighting design, equipment, and consultation for live theatre, dance and concerts. Andrew’s best and most important production is with his lovely wife, Catherine: their almost thirteen year old twins, Thomas and Elizabeth!

THE SECRET GARDEN

KRISTOFFER LOWE* (Dr. Neville Craven) NYC credits include Broadway concerts of On The and Chess with (New Theatre) and Babes in Toyland (Avery Fisher Hall). National Tour: Vallon in Showboat. Favorite regional credits include: The Padre in Man of LaMancha (Human Race Theatre), Nanki-Poo in The Mikado (River Rep. Theatre), Eugene in Grease (North Carolina Theatre), Reuben in Joseph… Dreamcoat (Media Theatre). A classically trained tenor, Kristoffer is a Regional Award winner in the 1998 Metropolitan Opera National Council . B.A. from -Southern College. Member of Actors’ Equity.

STEPHEN TEWKSBURY* (Archibald Craven) Broadway: , Phantom of the Opera. National tours Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera. Las Vegas: The Phantom Spectacular. Regional: (Sweeney) Geva Theatre, Beauty and The Beast (Beast) , Molly Magures (Darcy) Rockwell Productions, West Side Story (Tony) Seacoast Repertory. Stephen has performed with the Seattle and Portland symphonies and enjoys singing the National in ball parks and stadiums throughout the country including his favorite, Fenway Park. TV: All My Children, Guiding Light, Swift Justice, Nash Bridges. Stephen has a CD “The Luckiest” that is available on his Facebook page. Love to Trista.

GARY WEST (Capt. Albert Lennox, u/s Neville Craven) is absolutely thrilled to be working at the WPPAC for the first time! Thank you to Brian, George, the cast, the crew, and for this incredibly rewarding experience! Some of his favorite roles played recently are Mr. Erlanson in , Man in Starting Here, Starting Now, and Young Ben in . Gary has studied dance at the in Manhattan and has studied voice with many teachers. Gary holds a Bachelor of Music from Baylor University and a Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music. In addition to singing and dancing, Gary also plays the , piano, saxophone, and flute. Currently, Gary serves as the Coordinator of Fine Arts, K-12 for the White Plains Public Schools, where he previously taught music at the elementary and high school level for seven years.

LILLI JACOBS (Mary Lennox) is thrilled to be making her WPPAC debut as Mary in The Secret Garden! Off Broadway/NY theatre credits include: The Three Bears (Marie) Manhattan Rep, Evergreen (Ally) Prospect Theatre Co., Brecka and Scarlett and Cosmic fruit bowl (Eshka/Kiwi) Turtle Shell Productions. Favorite Regional credits include: The Crucible (Betty Parris) Hartford Stage/ Gordon Edelstein Dir., ( June) Actors Conservatory Theatre, and the Wonderful Lamp (Zurina) Wheelock Family Theatre, (Snow Child) and The Boyfriend (Maisie). Lilli has been featured in many short/independent films and webisodes/voiceovers as well. Love and thanks to Mom, Dad, Daniel, Kristin, Beverly, Jerrold, Ann Ratray, PACC of CT and KSR Management. EMC Candidate.

JAKE KITCHIN (Colin Craven) 9, is thrilled to make his WPPAC debut as Colin in The Secret Garden. Highlights: Off- Broadway: Rumpelstiltskin (Rumpelstiltskin). Readings: Jessie James: Dead or Alive (Archie); Regional: Oliver! (Oliver), The Secret Garden (Colin Craven), The Sound of Music (Friedrich Von Trapp); Television: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Team Umi Zoomi, The Gregory Brothers . Highlights of Music Performances and Recordings: Debut performance of “More is Annie” (duet) at Joe’s Pub, NYC (Breithaupt Brothers ); Neo8 Concert, Off- Broadway (solo performance), York Theatre NYC; Winter Rhythms Concert Series, Urban Stages NYC (soloist); Anderson’s Solo (Opera), demo recording with Glen Roven; Member and soloist of The Broadway Youth Ensemble, NYC. Jake studies voice, acting, tap, , musical theater dance, pop dance, and acrobatics and loves to build legos and play video games in his spare time! Jake is a member of SAG-AFTRA. Thanks to Janine, Amelia, Gulia, Renae, Shirley Grant Management, WPPAC and The Secret Garden creative team, and Mom, Dad, Emily and Kate.

SALENA QURESHI (Mary Lennox) is thrilled to be a part again of her favorite musical and is even more thrilled to be along side such a talented cast and crew. Recent Credits: (Little Sally), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett), Dark Deeds at Swan's Place (Carlota), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Ruth), Not an After School Special (Violet) *Awarded Best Actress, (Little Girl), Annie (July), (Princess Ying), (Lena Marrelli), Guys and Dolls (), Ain't it Tragic (Missy), Hansel and Gretel (Platter), The Secret Garden (Mary Lennox). Recently Salena won first place in Comedic Monologue, Contrasting Monologues, and Musical Solo at the New Jersey State Thespian Festival. She also won first place in Comedy Monologue and Musical Duet at the NJDFL State Championship this year. Much love and thanks to her supportive family, cast, and Vocal Coach Steven Schnurman. www.salenaqureshi.com

CHARLIE STORCK (Colin Craven) is thrilled to be making his WPPAC debut as Colin in The Secret Garden. He has performed in several productions all around Westchester. Some of his favorite credits include the roles of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonk, Albert Peterson in , Ugly in Honk, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls and LJ in Home For the Holidays at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. He would love to have a career that allows him to remain involved in the theatre. Charlie is 12 years old. He lives in Larchmont, NY with his parents; his sister, Sonia; his dog, Floyd; and his two kittens, Avery and Mars.

BRIAN SWASEY (Director/Choreographer) is a graduate of The University of New Hampshire with a degree in Musical Theatre and Dance. Directing and Choreography credits include Forever Plaid, Grease, Beauty and the Beast, Altar Boyz, Sweeney Todd, Lucky Stiff, Footloose, A Christmas Carol, The Wild Party, The Man in The Iron Mask, Godspell, Seussical, Starmites, Nunsense, , A Taffeta Wedding, Is There Life After High School?, How to Succeed..., Fiddler on the Roof, , A New Brain, Miracle on 34th Street, Musical of Musicals, The Musical, , Once Upon a Mattress, West Side Story, Kiss Me, Kate and Peter Pan. Assistant Directed Die, Mommie, Die starring Charles Busch. Theatrical Performing credits include George in , Harry Houdini in Ragtime at Maine State Music Theatre, the Off-Broadway production of Naked Boys Singing, Into the Woods, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, , Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby, Fiddler on the Roof, A Chorus Line, , 42nd Street, Tommy, The Wizard of Oz, and an international and US tour of West Side Story. Artistic Director of the Astoria Performing Arts Center (2001-2008).

GEORGE H. CROOM (Musical Director/Conductor) has served as music director for over 150 productions, including is , Kiss Of The Spiderwoman, 42nd Street, , Urinetown, Personals, , , Songs For A New World, A Little Night Music, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, And The World Goes Round, Into The Woods, Gypsy, West Side Story, Blues In The Night, Merrily We Roll Along, the European premiere of Myths And Hymns, and the off-Broadway premiere of The Scarlet Letter. As an actor, he has appeared in national tours of Evita, Purlie and Godspell; off-Broadway in Celebration, The Wind In The Willows, The Elephant Piece, and Sweethearts; regional productions include Ain’t Misbehavin, As You Like It, Bat Boy, Sweeney Todd, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) , and Swing!, He has directed/choreographed productions of Company, , Hairspray, Bloodbrothers, Sweeney Todd, Damn Yankees, , The Odd Couple, , Me And My Girl, You Can’t Take It With You and . He wrote the score for Shakedown Street for the New York Fringe Festival, Twelfth Night at the Herbert Mark Newman Theater, and is collaborating on the musical Beautiful Dreamer, based on the lives of Stephen Foster and Solomon Northup. For this theater, he was music director for Aida and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and appeared as Bustopher Jones and Gus the Theater in Cats.